Application of soil magnetometry and geochemical methods to investigate soil contamination with antimony.

The aim of the study was an assessment of the pollution level and identification of the antimony sources in soils in areas subjected to industrial anthropopressure from: transport, metallurgy and electrical waste recycling. The combination of soil magnetometry, chemical analyzes using atomic spectrometry (ICP-OES and ICP-MS), Sb fractionation analysis, statistical analysis (Pearson's correlation matrix, factor analysis) as well as Geoaccumulation Index, Pollution Load Index, and Sb/As factor allowed not only the assessment of soil contamination degree, but also comprehensive identification of different Sb sources. The results indicate that the soil in the vicinity of the studied objects was characterized by high values of magnetic susceptibility and thus, high contents of potentially toxic elements. The most polluted area was in the vicinity of electrical waste processing plants. Research has shown that the impact of road traffic and wearing off brake blocks, i.e. traffic anthropopression in general, has little effect on the surrounding soil in terms of antimony content. Large amounts of Pb, Zn, As and Cd were found in the soil collected in the vicinity of the heap after the processing of zinc-lead ores, the average antimony (11.31 mg kg-1) content was lower in the vicinity of the heap than in the area around the electrical and electronic waste processing plant, but still very high. Antimony in the studied soils was demobilized and associated mainly with the residual fraction.

Elevated Urbanization-Driven Plant Accumulation of Metal(loid)s Including Arsenic Species and Assessment of the Klodnica River Sediment Contamination.

The impact of water and bottom sediment pollution of a river subjected to a strong industrial anthropogenic pressure of metal(loid) (including arsenic and its species) accumulation in riverbank plants such as Solidago virgaurea L., Phragmites L. and Urtica dioica L. was investigated. The high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) technique was used to study organic and inorganic arsenic species in selected plants and their response to heavy metal and arsenic contamination. The modified BCR extraction results showed that arsenic was mainly bound to the mobile reducible and organic-sulfide fractions in the Klodnica River bottom sediments. Research has shown that the bottom sediments of the Klodnica River are contaminated with metals, including Pb, Zn, Ni, As, and among arsenic species, the As(V) form dominated quantitatively, with its highest concentration being 49.3 mg kg-1 and the organic species occurred extremely rarely. The highest concentration of arsenic, among the tested plants, occurred in Phragmites communis L. The evaluation of the bottom sediment pollution was performed using Sb/As factor, geoaccumulation index (Igeo), enrichment factor (EF) and pollution load index (PLI). The ability of the plant to assimilate metals from the substrate was studied by calculation of the bioaccumulation factor (BAF). Values of the Igeo change in a wide range from class 1 (uncontaminated to moderately polluted for Cu and Zn) at the first sampling point, to 5 (highly to extremely polluted for Ba and Fe) at the K4 sampling point. The Igeo results show an increase in the contamination with elements toward the runoff of the Klodnica River.

Selected technology-critical elements as indicators of anthropogenic contamination of surface water and suspended solids on the example of the Biala Przemsza River (Poland).

Pollution of surface waters from anthropogenic activities is a global problem, affecting natural ecosystems, having a large impact on the life and health of living organisms. The development of mining and metallurgic industries of Pb and Zn ores in the Biala Przemsza cachment area has had a strong influence on the surface waters and suspended solids. This paper proposes the use of selected critical elements such as Tl, Te, Ga, Ge and In as indicators of anthropogenic pollution of surface waters and suspended solids on the example of the Biala Przemsza River. The impact of strongly anthropogenic urban-industrial catchment on the temporal and spatial distribution of the selected TCEs content in the water and suspension of the Biala Przemsza River depending on the oxygen, pH and Eh conditions is presented. Research has shown that selected critical elements such as Te, Ge, and In can be indicators of anthropogenic pollution of surface waters. In the case of the Biala Przemsza River, elements such as Ga and Tl cannot be indicators of anthropogenic pollution due to their presence in the zinc and lead ore deposits occurring in the river basin. Correlation matrices showed significant relationships between the selected TCEs and other water parameters. The calculated water pollution indices confirmed that the Biala Przemsza River is the most polluted in the last three sampling points.

Studies on the Content of Selected Technology Critical Elements (Germanium, Tellurium and Thallium) in Electronic Waste.

The article draws attention to the problem of the presence of metals: germanium (Ge), tellurium (Te), thallium (Tl), and others (Cd, Ba, Co, Mn, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sr, and Zn) in selected waste of electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). As a result of the growing demand for new technologies, the global consumption of TECs has also been increasing. Thus, the amount of metals in circulation, of which the impacts on the environment have not yet been fully understood, is constantly increasing. Due to the low content of these metals in WEEE, they are usually ignored during e-waste analyses. The main aim of this study was to determine the distribution of Ge, Te, and Tl (and other elements) in ground sieve fractions (1.0, 0.5, 0.2, and 0.1 mm) of selected electronic components (solar lamps, solar cell, LED TV screens, LCD screens, photoresistors, photodiodes, phototransistors) and to determine the possible tendency of the concentrations of these metals in fractions. This problem is particularly important because WEEE recycling processes (crushing, grinding, and even collection and transport operations) can lead to dispersion and migration of TCE pollutants into the environment. The quantitative composition of e-waste was identified and confirmed by ICP-MS, ICP-OES and SEM-EDS, and XRD analyses. It was found that Ge, Te, and Tl are concentrated in the finest fractions of ground e-waste, together with Cd and Cr, which may favor the migration of these pollutants in the form of dust during storage and processing of e-waste.

Development of a Tellurium Speciation Study Using IC-ICP-MS on Soil Samples Taken from an Area Associated with the Storage, Processing, and Recovery of Electrowaste.

The optimization and validation of a methodology for determining and extracting inorganic ionic Te(VI) and Te(IV) forms in easily-leached fractions of soil by Ion Chromatography-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (IC-ICP-MS) were studied. In this paper, the total concentration of Te, pH, and red-ox potential were determined. Ions were successfully separated in 4 min on a Hamilton PRPX100 column with 0.002 mg/kg and 0.004 mg/kg limits of detection for Te(VI) and Te(IV), respectively. Soil samples were collected from areas subjected to the influence of an electrowaste processing and sorting plant. Sequential chemical extraction of soils showed that tellurium was bound mainly with sulphides, organic matter, and silicates. Optimization of soil extraction allowed 20% average extraction efficiency to be obtained, using 100 mM citric acid as the extractant. In the tested soil samples, both tellurium species were present. In most cases, the soils contained a reduced Te form, or the concentrations of both species were similar.

Health risk assessment of selected metals through tap water consumption in Upper Silesia, Poland.

The research focused on assessing the risk to human health resulting from the content of selected Cr, Co, Mn, Cu, Ni, Pb, As, Zn and Sr metals in tap water supplied by Upper Silesia Water Plant to the inhabitants of the Upper Silesia region (Poland). It is the main supplier of drinking water to several million inhabitants of this agglomeration. Samples were taken and analyzed quarterly in 2019. The sampling points were chosen to help identify the source when an elevated level of a particular contaminant is observed. ICP-MS and ICP-OES have been used to measure the concentrations of those elements. The chronic daily intake (CDI), hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) results for non-carcinogenic risk assessment of metals in tap water has been assessed. CDI values of non-carcinogenic metals were higher in children than in adults; the CDI values for adults and children were found in the order of: Zn > Sr > Cu > Mn > Ni > Pb > Cr > Co > As. All the studied metals had HQ values below 1, the risks caused by the non-carcinogenic metals decreased in the following order: Zn > Cu > Co > As > Sr > Pb > Cr > Ni > Mn. HI values were also less than 1, that meaning that the analyzed tap water is safe for human consumption. The concentration of As, Cr, Cu, Mn and Ni in analyzed tap water is in accordance with Polish and international requirements.

Impact of River Water and Bottom Sediment Pollution on Accumulation of Metal(loid)s and Arsenic Species in the Coastal Plants Stuckenia pectinata L., Galium aparine L., and Urtica dioica L.: A Chemometric and Environmental Study.

The role of water and bottom sediment pollution of a river subjected to a strong industrial anthropo-pressure in coastal plants was investigated. The work presented the influence of polluted environment on accumulation of metal(loid)s (including arsenic and its species) in Stuckenia pectinata L., Galium aparine L., and Urtica dioica L. The study provided important information on the contents of organic and inorganic arsenic species in selected plants and their response to heavy metal and arsenic contamination. The As(III), As(V), AB (arsenobetaine), MMA (monomethylarsonic acid), and DMA (dimethylarsinic acid) ions were successfully separated on the Hamilton PRP-X100 column with high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (HPLC-ICP-MS) techniques. The Pollution Load Index and geo-accumulation Index (Igeo) values clearly indicate significant pollution of the examined ecosystem with heavy metals. The chemometric analysis with the concepts of (Dis)similarity Analysis, Cluster Analysis, and Principal Component Analysis helped to visualize the variability of the As species concentrations and to analyse correlations between sampling point locations and analyte contents.

Metal Concentration Assessment in the Urine of Cigarette Smokers Who Switched to Electronic Cigarettes: A Pilot Study.

Background: E-cigarettes (ECs) seem to be a less harmful alternative for conventional cigarettes, however, very little is still known about the exposure to some elements, which are the components of this device and may contaminate the nicotine liquid. The aim of this study is to assess whether e-cigarette users are more exposed to 12 elements detected in aerosol than non-smokers and conventional cigarette smokers, using their concentrations in urine as exposure biomarkers. Methods: A cross-sectional, group-based survey was carried out using 90 volunteers classified into groups of non-smokers, EC-only users, dual EC users-cigarette smokers and cigarette-only smokers. Using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS), Cr, Ni, Co, Ag, In, Mn, Ba, Sr, V, Sb, Cd and Pb levels were measured in spot urine samples. Among the selected groups, a comparison was made using the analysis of covariance and correlations with EC usage pattern were assessed by multiple linear regression. Results: Element concentrations in urine of EC-users were not significantly different from the levels found in non-smokers and smokers. Only in the case of Ba, Ni and Sb was a significant correlation found in relation to some e-cigarette usage patterns. Conclusion: Transfer of the investigated elements to the EC aerosol was not found to be a substantial source of exposure in EC users who quitted smoking.

Spatial and temporal variability of metal(loid)s concentration as well as simultaneous determination of five arsenic and antimony species using HPLC-ICP-MS technique in the study of water and bottom sediments of the shallow, lowland, dam reservoir in Poland.

The optimization of new methodology for simultaneous determination of arsenic [As(III), As(V)] and antimony [Sb(III), Sb(V), SbMe3] species using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in water and bottom sediment samples collected from the dam Kozlowa Góra Reservoir (Poland) was studied. Samples were collected monthly from May to September 2018 in four-point (water) and fifth-point (sediment) transects. The contents of Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cr, Rb, Sr, Cd, Sb, Ba, Tl, Pb, and Sb were studied in water and bottom sediments using ICP-MS techniques. Additionally, arsenic and antimony fractions were determined in sediments with the BCR method. Pollution Load Index (PLI), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), LAWA classification, and Sb/As ratio indicated the presence of extreme sediment pollution for Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cr from anthropogenic sources. Research has shown that the easy-leached bottom sediment fraction contained in most cases more As(V) and Sb(V). But often Sb(V) concentration was equal as Sb(III), which can be released into the pelagic zone under favorable conditions. Even though As(V) and Sb(V) prevail in the reservoir bottom sediments, they can be transformed into As(III) and Sb(III) as a result of drastic changes in pH or redox potential. The Kozlowa Góra sediments are heavily polluted with Pb, Zn, Cd, and As, Cu, and Ni. The highest concentrations of the heavy metals were recorded in the middle of the tank and there was a small spatial variability. The migration of metals along the reservoir transect was closely related to its morphometry.

Time and spatial variability in concentrations of selected metals and their species in water and bottom sediments of Dzierzno Duze (Poland).

Poland is an industrialized country in which industries (especially the heavy ones) have had a tremendous influence on the environment. It is particularly visible in the Upper Silesia region, where the observed air, soil and water pollution levels are the most highest. The aim of this study was to determine the time and spatial variability in: concentrations of selected metals (Co, Ni, Zn, Cr, Mn, Pb, Cd), and, to a limited extent, of Cu, V, Al and Sr; concentrations of inorganic ions (Cl-, SO42-, Na+, K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+) and values of pH, conductivity and redox potential. The enlisted parameters were determined for the water and bottom sediments of Dzierzno Duze, a water reservoir located in Poland (Upper Silesia region). Additionally, fractions of a few characteristic metals were determined in the bottom sediments of the discussed reservoir with the BCR method. The investigation was carried out in 2017. It showed that the reservoir surface water was not polluted with the determined metal contents. However, it was highly polluted with the inorganic ions. The metal contents determined in the bottom sediments were high. If the conditions for releasing them from the bottom sediments had been favorable, this situation could have posed a potentially considerable environmental threat.

Development and validation of HPLC-ICP-MS method for the determination inorganic Cr, As and Sb speciation forms and its application for Plawniowice reservoir (Poland) water and bottom sediments variability study.

The optimization of methodology for determination and extraction of inorganic ionic As(III)/As(V), Cr(III)/Cr(VI) and Sb(III)/Sb(V) forms in water and easily-leached fractions of bottom sediments by HPLC-ICP-MS were studied. In paper total concentration of As, Cr, Sb, pH and redox potential were determined. Ions were successfully separated on Dionex IonPac AS7: As(III), As(V), Sb(III), Sb(V) and Dionex IonPac AG7: Cr(III), Cr(VI) with LOD 0.18 µg/L, 0.22 µg/L, 0.009 µg/L, 0.012 µg/L 0.11 µg/L, 0.17 µg/L, respectively. Water and bottom sediments samples were collected monthly from Plawniowice Reservoir, in three-point transects between March and December 2012. In the bottom water predominated As(III) and Cr(III) forms and the highest content of Cr(III) was in the water flowing into the Plawniowice Reservoir. Concentration of Cr(VI) increased in the bottom water in the spring and summer (April-July), while decreasing of the Cr(III) content was associated with the release of Cr(VI) from sediment into the water. Studies have shown that antimony accumulates in reservoir sediments and its reduced form was predominated except May and October-November period when high concentrations of Sb(V) was present. In contrast As(V) was the predominant arsenic form in bottom sediments.