Long term effect of metal pollution in the catchment area of Tisza River

Abstract

In January and March 2000 two tailings dam failures occurred in the upper Tisza catchment area near Baia Mare and Baia Borsa (Romania). These accidents focused attention on the metal pollution of the Tisza catchment area, and the short term effects of them were studied by many researchers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long term effects of these pollutions by determining the Lakanen-Erviö extractable easily available metal contents of samples collected in 2011 from floodplains and pastures along the Tisza (Tivadar, Vásárosnamény, Rakamaz, Tiszacsege), and comparing them to our earlier results. Cu and Zn contents were measured by Optima 3300 DV ICP-OES (Perkin-Elmer). The measurement of Pb and Cd was conducted by QZ 939 GF-AAS (Unicam) in 2000 and by an X7 ICP-MS (Thermo Fisher) in 2011. We found that the Cd, Zn and Pb contents of the pasture near Vásárosnamény exceed limit values and natural background values. In addition, during a 11 year period the easily available Cd, Zn and Pb contents increased significantly, suggesting that the hazard of this pollution should not be neglected.

Keywords

• Tisza River, heavy metal pollution, Lakanen-Erviö extraction

References

1. Bird, G., Brewer, P. A., Macklin, M. G, Balteanu, D., Driga, B., Serban, M., Zaharia, S., 2003. The solid state partitioning of contaminant metals and as in river channel sediments of the mining affected Tisa drainage basin, northwestern Romania and eastern Hungary. Appied Geochemistry 18, 1583-1595.
2. Brewer, P. A., Macklin, M. G, Balteanu, D., Coulthard, T. J., Driga, B., Howard, A. J., Bird, G,, Zaharia, S., Serban, M., 2003. The tailings dam failures in Maramures county, Romania and their transboundary impacts on the river system. NATO Science Series: IV: Earth and Environmental Sciences, 20, 73-83.
3. Farsang A., Puskás I., Szolnoki Zs., 2009. Human health risk assessment: a case study of heavy metal contamination of garden soils in Szeged. AGD Landscape and Environment, 3(1), 11-27.
4. Győri Z, Alapi K, Sipos P, Zubor Á., 2003a. Effects of heavy metal on floodplain soils and pastures of the River Tisza, Hungary II. In Natural Attenuation of Metals Along the Tisza River–Floodplain–Wetlands Continuum (pp. 161–163). Debreceni Egyetem, Debrecen.
5. Győri Z, Alapi K, Szilágyi Sz., 2003b. Effects of heavy metal on floodplain soils and pastures of the River Tisza, Hungary I. In Natural Attenuation of Metals Along the Tisza River–Floodplain–Wetlands Continuum (pp. 146–160). Debreceni Egyetem, Debrecen.
6. Kabata-Pendias, A., Pendias, H., 2001. Trace Elements in Soils and Plants. 3rd ed. CRC Press, Ltd. Boca Raton, Florida.
7. Kádár, I., 1998. Examination and qualify of contaminated soils. Ministry of Environment Protection, MTA-TAKI, Budapest.
8. Kraft, C, von Tümpling jr, W., Zachmann, D.W., 2006. The effects of mining in Northern Romania on the heavy metal distribution in sediments of the rivers Szamos and Tisza (Hungary). Acta hydrochimica et hydrobiologica, 34(3), 257–264.

9. Lakanen, E and Erviö, R., 1971. A comparison of eight extractants for the determination of plant available micronutrients in soil. Acta Agriculturae Fenn 123, 223-232.
10. Macklin, M.G., Brewer, P. A., Balteanu, D., Coulthard, T. J., Driga, B., Howard, A. J., Zaharia, S., 2003. The long term fate and environmental significance of contaminant metals released by the January and March 2000 mining tailings dam failures in Maramures County, upper Tisa Basin, Romania. Appied Geochemistry 18, 241-257.
11. Meers, E., Du Laing, G., Unamuno, V, Ruttens, A, Vangronsveld, J, Tack, F.M.G., Verloo, M.G., 2007. Comparison of cadmium extractability from soils by commonly used single extraction protocols. Geoderma, 141(3–4), 247–259.
12. Nguyen, H. L., Braun, M., Szaloki, I., Baeyens, W., Grieken, R., Van, Leermakers, M., 2009. Tracing the metal pollution history of the Tisza River through the analysis of a sediment depth profile. Water Air Soil Pollut., 200, 119-132
13. Osán, J., Kurunczi, S., Török, S., Grieken, R. Van, 2002. X-ray analysis of riverbank sediment of the Tisza (Hungary): identification of particles from a mine pollution event. Spectrochimica. Acta, 57, 413-422.
14. Sharma, P., Steckel, H., Koschinsky, A., Schnug E., 2009. Potential correlation of heavy metals in surface soils with infestation of Viscum album in poplar trees. Landbauforschung – vTI Agriculture and Forestry Research, 1(59), 11-18.
15. Szabó, Sz., Posta, J., Gosztonyi, Gy., Mészáros, I., Prokisch, J., 2008. Heavy metal content of flood sediments and plants near the River Tisza. AGD Landscape and Environment, 2, 120-131.
16. UNEP/OCHA, 2000. Spill of Liquid and Suspended Waste at the Aurul S.A. Retreatment Plant in Baia Mare. Assessment Mission Report, Geneva.
17. Wehland, F., Panaiotu, C., Appel, E., Hoffmann, V., Jordanova, D., Jordanova, N., Denut, I., 2002. The dam breakage of Baia Mare - a pilot study of magnetic screening. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 27, 1371-1376.