title: Geochemical and Pb isotopic evidence for sources and dispersal of metal contamination in stream sediments from the mining and smelting district of Príbram, Czech Republic.
abstract: Stream sediments from the mining and smelting district of Príbram, Czech Republic, were studied to determine the degree, sources and dispersal of metal contamination using a combination of bulk metal and mineralogical determinations, sequential extractions and Pb isotopic analyses. The highest metal concentrations were found 3-4 km downstream from the main polymetallic mining site (9800 mg Pb kg(-1), 26 039 mg Zn kg(-1), 316.4 mg Cd kg(-1), 256.9 mg Cu kg(-1)). The calculated enrichment factors (EFs) confirmed the extreme degree of contamination by Pb, Zn and Cd (EF>40). Lead, Zn and Cd are bound mainly to Fe oxides and hydroxides. In the most contaminated samples Pb is also present as Pb carbonates and litharge (PbO). Lead isotopic analysis indicates that the predominant source of stream sediment contamination is historic Pb-Ag mining and primary Pb smelting (206Pb/207Pb=1.16), while the role of secondary smelting (car battery processing) is negligible.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Mineral Resources, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic. ettler@natur.cuni.cz
authors.forename: Vojtech
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ettler
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mihaljevic
authors.forename: Ondrej
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sebek
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Molek
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grygar
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zeman
mesh_terms: D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D018153:Czech Republic; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D007501:Iron; D007554:Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D008669:Metallurgy; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D008906:Mining; D045483:Rivers; D013057:Spectrum Analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D007554:Isotopes; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D003300:Copper; D007501:Iron; D015032:Zinc