The Arsenic–Antimony Creek at Sauerbrunn/Burgenland, Austria: A Toxic Habitat for Amphibians

Wolfram Adlassnig, Brigitte Schmidt, Franz Jirsa, Andreas Gradwohl, Caroline Ivesic and Marianne Koller-Peroutka
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Wolfram Adlassnig: Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
Brigitte Schmidt: Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
Franz Jirsa: Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
Andreas Gradwohl: Department of Inorganic Chemistry, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
Caroline Ivesic: Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
Marianne Koller-Peroutka: Core Facility Cell Imaging and Ultrastructure Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Althanstraße 14, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 10, 1-15

Abstract: (1) Background: All Austrian amphibians are affected by the degradation of habitats. Mining contributes to habitat destruction by the formation of spoil heaps and mine drainage waters. In Stadtschlaining/Burgenland, antimony mining led to increased arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) concentrations in soil and water. This study investigates a contaminated creek, still inhabited by amphibians. (2) Methods: Water and soil were analyzed along the creek and correlated with the occurrence of amphibians. (3) Results: As and Sb were increased, with up to 49,000 mg/kg As and 2446 mg/kg Sb in the soil. Up to 317 mg/kg As and 156 mg/kg Sb became bioavailable under gastric, and up to 298 mg/kg As and 30 mg/kg Sb under intestinal conditions, and were absorbed upon ingestion of soil. Larvae of Salamandra salamandra were found throughout the creek; survival rates were low. Rana temporaria occurs in the most contaminated sections but does not propagate here. Bombina variegata appears occasionally. Amphibians seem not to be able to detect and avoid metal or metalloid contamination. (4) Conclusion: Survival of larvae is dubious, but adult amphibians survive without apparent damage under severe metalloid contamination.

Keywords: Bombina variegata; Rana temporaria; Salamandra salamandra; metalloid; mine drainage; mine waste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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