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Faimon J, Baldík V, Buriánek D, Rez J, Štelcl J, Všianský D, Sedláček J, Dostalík M, Nečas J, Novotný R, Hadacz R, Kryštofová E, Novotná J, Müller P, Krumlová H, Čáp P, Faktorová K, Malík J, Roháč J, Kycl P, Janderková J. Historical ferrous slag induces modern environmental problems in the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 847:157433. [PMID: 35868374 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2022] [Revised: 06/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Ferrous slag produced by a historic smelter is washed from a slagheap and transported by a creek through a cave system. Slag filling cave spaces, abrasion of cave walls / calcite speleothems, and contamination of the aquatic environment with heavy metals and other toxic components are concerns. We characterize the slag in its deposition site, map its transport through the cave system, characterize the effect of slag transport, and evaluate the risks to both cave and aqueous environments. The study was based on chemical and phase analysis supported laboratory experiments and geochemical modeling. The slag in the slagheap was dominated by amorphous glass phase (66 to 99 wt%) with mean composition of 49.8 ± 2.8 wt% SiO2, 29.9 ± 1.6 wt% CaO, 13.4 ± 1.2 wt% Al2O3, 2.7 ± 0.3 wt% K2O, and 1.2 ± 0.1 wt% MgO. Minerals such as melilite, plagioclase, anorthite, and wollastonite / pseudowollastonite with lower amounts of quartz, cristobalite, and calcite were detected. Slag enriches the cave environment with Se, As, W, Y, U, Be, Cs, Sc, Cd, Hf, Ba, Th, Cr, Zr, Zn, and V. However, only Zr, V, Co, and As exceed the specified limits for soils (US EPA and EU limits). The dissolution lifetime of a 1 mm3 volume of slag was estimated to be 27,000 years, whereas the mean residence time of the slag in the cave is much shorter, defined by a flood frequency of ca. 47 years. Consequently, the extent of slag weathering and contamination of cave environment by slag weathering products is small under given conditions. However, slag enriched in U and Th can increase radon production as a result of alpha decay. The slag has an abrasive effect on surrounding rocks and disintegrated slag can contaminate calcite speleothems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiří Faimon
- Department of Geological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic; Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Vít Baldík
- Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Buriánek
- Department of Geological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic; Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Rez
- Department of Geological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic; Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jindřich Štelcl
- Department of Geological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Biology, Faculty of Education, Masaryk University, Poříčí 623/7, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Dalibor Všianský
- Department of Geological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 267/2, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Sedláček
- Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Dostalík
- Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 131/3, 118 21 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Nečas
- Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Novotný
- Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Roman Hadacz
- Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Kryštofová
- Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jitka Novotná
- Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Müller
- Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Krumlová
- Institute of Physics of the Earth, Masaryk University, Tvrdého 12, 602 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Čáp
- Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 131/3, 118 21 Praha, Czech Republic
| | | | - Jan Malík
- Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 131/3, 118 21 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Jakub Roháč
- Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 131/3, 118 21 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Kycl
- Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 131/3, 118 21 Praha, Czech Republic
| | - Jana Janderková
- Czech Geological Survey, Leitnerova 22, 658 69 Brno, Czech Republic
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