Surface-dwelling soil macrofauna and ground beetles (coleoptera: carabidae) of metal post-mining spoil heaps–community composition and potential risk element bioaccumulation

ABSTRACT

Spoil heaps arising from mineral ore mining and smelting are a potential source of air, water and soil’s metalliferous contamination. However, the importance of such man-made sites as biodiversity refuge for rare or endangered species is assuredly undoubted, as the natural habitats are in decline. It is questionable, how potential risk elements, including heavy metals and metalloids released into the environment of spoil heaps, affect this phenomenon, since just the soil fauna representatives are in close contact with contaminants. Surface-dwelling soil macrofauna, with special emphasis on the carabids, were surveyed at spoil heaps within two metal post-mining areas in Eastern Slovakia. Contents of potential risk elements, including heavy metals and metalloids, were determined in substratum and selected invertebrate taxa too. Iron and aluminium dominated in substratum at both localities, where the environmentally most hazardous elements As, Cd, Cu, Pb and especially Hg exceeded permissible limits. The highest concentrations of Al and Fe were also found in the invertebrates. Regarding Zn, Cd and Sb, soil macrofauna representatives figured as their macro-concentrators. Our results indicate that metal post-mining spoil heaps have the potential to offer suitable habitats, especially for psammophilous species and groups preferring sites with the bare soil and sparse vegetation.

KEYWORDS:

• Epigeal
• invertebrates
• carabids
• risk elements
• heavy metals
• spoil heaps

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Ingrida Kotuličová for laboratory analysis assistance, journal editor and anonymous referees for their thoughtful comments and efforts in improving our manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study was partly supported by Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic VEGA:[grant number No.1/0326/18, No. 1/0591/18] and KEGA [grant number No.005/PU4-2019].

Notes on contributors

Beáta Baranová

Dr. Beáta Baranová is assistant professor at Department of Ecology, FHNS of University of Prešov, Slovakia, working on research of epigeal macrofauna with the lay emphasis on the ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae within the environmentally differently loaded and man-made sites.

Lenka Demková

Dr. Lenka Demková is assistant professor at Department of Ecology, FHNS of University of Prešov, Slovakia, working on research of risk elements in environment with lay emphasis on heavy metals at post-mining areas.

Július Arvay

Dr. Július Árvay is scientific researcher – Department of Chemistry (FBFS) Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra working on research of heavy metals in the environment.