Arsenic in the soil environment of central Balkan Peninsula,southeastern Europe: occurrence, geochemistry, and impacts

摘要

The central parts of the Balkan Peninsula (CBP) in south-east Europe, covering partsof Serbia and Bosnia, are geologically and geochemically complex. The CBP consistsof numerous geological formations and ore deposits, which may be important naturalsources for environmental arsenic (As). In the CBP, there are also several othersources of As, such as old and active mines, metallurgical and electric-power plants.In the region, Tertiary magmatic rocks contain 3.1 mg As/kg, whereas soils contain10 mg As/kg. Elevated concentration of As (500-5000 mg/kg) was also noted in thenon-ferrous mining belts; and mine tailings and acid mine drainage also contain highconcentrations of As (2-25 mg/1). In this study, impacts of As on water, soil, air, andbiota have been discussed briefly.