The Release of Antimony from Mine Dump Soils in the Presence and Absence of Forest Litter

Karolina Lewińska, Anna Karczewska, Marcin Siepak and Bernard Gałka
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Karolina Lewińska: Department of Soil Science and Remote Sensing of Soils, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, ul. Krygowskiego 10, 61-680 Poznań, Poland
Anna Karczewska: Institute of Soil Science and Environmental Protection, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, ul. Grunwaldzka 53, 50-357 Wrocław, Poland
Marcin Siepak: Institute of Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, ul. Krygowskiego 12, 61-680 Poznań, Poland
Bernard Gałka: Institute of Soil Science and Environmental Protection, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, ul. Grunwaldzka 53, 50-357 Wrocław, Poland

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 12, 1-16

Abstract: This study examined the changes in antimony (Sb) solubility in soils, using organic matter introduced with forest litter, in various moisture conditions. Soils containing 12.8–163 mg/kg Sb were taken from the top layers of dumps in former mining sites in the Sudetes, South-West Poland. Soils were incubated for 90 days either in oxic or waterlogged conditions, with and without the addition of 50 g/kg of beech forest litter (FL). Water concentrations of Sb in some experimental treatments greatly exceeded the threshold values for good quality underground water and drinking water, and reached a maximum of 2.8 mg/L. The changes of Sb solubility caused by application of FL and prolonged waterlogging were, in various soils, highly divergent and in fact unpredictable based on the main soil properties. In some soils, the application of forest litter prompted the release of Sb from soil solid phase, while in the others it acted contradictorily. Soil waterlogging resulted, in most cases, in the increased release of Sb compared to oxic conditions, and this effect was enhanced by the addition of forest litter. However, in two soils the presence of forest litter counteracted the effects of waterlogging and diminished the quantities of released Sb.

Keywords: Sb; solubility; organic matter; waterlogging; MacroRhizon (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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