Environmental Impact of Soil Pollution with Toxic Elements from the Lead And Zinc Mine at Gyöngyösoroszi (Hungary)

Abstract

Toxic elements from the lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) mine at Gyöngyösoroszi (Northeast Hungary) cause pollution and potential risk to the ecosystem and human health. The aim of this work was to determine the contamination level at two sites planted with willow (Salix sp. L.) and corn (Zea mays L.) along the Toka valley, to evaluate soil quality by biological and biochemical parameters, and to assess potential risk for human health. Total arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), Pb, Zn, and mercury (Hg) contents in polluted soils reached values up to 384, 28.8, 493, 2827, 4417, and 4.46 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Values of these elements in the polluted soil for willow were 3.7 to 31 times higher and in corn were 2.3 to 20.9 times higher than in the unpolluted soil. All measured parameters therefore indicated soil pollution. Plant emergence percentage and plant and microbial biomass decreased whereas water‐extractable organic carbon (C), phosphatase activity, and corn root infection by arbuscular mychorrizal AM fungi and toxic metal content of the tested plants increased significantly. The results showed a high soil pollution level and consequently a great potential risk for human health (value of the additive hazard quotient was 11.21) and indicated the necessity for remediation of the site.

Keywords:

• Corn
• heavy metal
• human health risk
• microbial parameter
• willow

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We are grateful to Josef Koncz for soil analyses and to the Hungarian Economic Competitiveness Operative Program (AKF 0257 and AKF 0261) and the Hungarian Scientific Research Fund (OTKA T 042778 and T 038280) for financial support.