Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment

Heavy metal soil contamination around the metallurgical plant of Elbasani in Albania

Author(s):

Fatbardh Sallaku ¹, Shkelqim Fortuzi ², Odeta Tota ³, Bujar Huqi ¹, Demosthenis Chachalis ^4*, Mohamend Darawsheh⁵

Recieved Date: 2009-04-07, Accepted Date: 2009-10-03

Abstract:

The metallurgical complex of Elbasan is the largest and most important one in the country but at the same time represents a source of significant heavy metal contamination in the wider watershed Shkumbini River. This study aimed to determine the degree of soil contamination by Cu, Zn and Cd, with respect to distance from the metallurgical complex and determine various metal fractions for selected soil samples. Samples (80) from surface soil (0-20 cm) were collected at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 km distance from the metallurgical plant. Total content of heavy metals were determined by the mineralization of soil samples and a sequential fractionation procedure was used to partition the heavy metals into fractions using standard methodology. The data indicated that the soils around the plant are highly polluted up to 15 km away from the plant with Cd, Zn and Cu (50 to 159; 86 to 147; 0.76 to 2.25 mg/kg soil, respectively). A sequential extraction technique used to characterize bonding of metals to the soils showed that organic matter, carbonate and poorly crystalline Fe oxides and tightly bound residual fractions contained > 60% of the total Cd, Zn and Cu. Exchangeable Cd was a significant fraction, averaging from 30 to 40% of the total present. Although amounts of organic matter and Fe oxides were of obvious importance in influencing this distribution, there was little variation in different fractions found in this study. Results from this study would help to implement appropriate soil-management techniques to limit mobility and plant availability of heavy metals minimizing their transfer into the food chain.

Keywords:

Soil Cu, Zn, Cd, heavy metal contamination, organic matter, Fe oxides, pollution

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Journal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2009
Volume: 7
Issue: 3&4
Category: Environment
Pages: 878-881

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