Anthropoghenic soil contamination connected with active mines, smelting and plants in the Republic of Macedonia

A few anthropogenic pollutants at the territory of the Republic of Macedonia, were studied, three Pb-Zn mines with three mi­lls, one copper mine with mill and copper leaching facility, one Pb-Zn smelting and several mines and factories for raw minerals such is the Usje in our capital Skopje. At the Usje factory were measured values in ranges of 1.46÷2.23% Fe, 440÷940 mg kg-1Mn, 93.4÷104.71mg kg-1Ni, 58.57÷83.1 mg kg-1Zn, 23.1÷34.9 mgkg-1 Pb, 42.30÷60.3 mg kg-1 Cu and 0.59÷1.61 mgkg-1Cd. The concentrations of heavy metals at Veles former smelting Pb-Zn plant were in the range: 20÷1823 mg kg-1Pb, 29÷2395 mg kg-1Zn, 28÷65 mgkg-1Cd, 27÷81 mg kg-1 Cu, 39÷164 mg kg-1Ni, 508÷938 mgkg-1Mn and 1.6÷3.8% Fe, all of them above reference values. Around the Feni smelting plant concentrations of particular pollution elements were in the range: 16÷31 mg kg-1Pb, 117÷286 mgkg-1Zn, 13÷30 mg kg-1Co, 43÷119 mg kg-1 Cu, 158÷292 mg kg-1Ni, 519÷903 mgkg-1Mn, 119÷236 mg kg-1 Cr and 2.24÷3.79% Fe.  At the ToranicaPb-Zn mine all the measured values multiplexed above the standard values. Enri­ch­me­nt factors ranged from, low 3.75 for nickel up to 362.5 for zinc and extreme 1587.5 for lead. The Zletovo Pb-Zn mine has been characterized by all the measured values multiplexed above the standard values with an exception of nickel. Enrichment factors ranged from mediate ones such were those for copper of 20.8, cadmium of 28.7, arsenic of 32.5 up to high ones for zinc with 341.7 and lead 925. In regards to SasaPb-Zn mine all the measured values multiplexed above the standard values with an exception of nickel. Enrichment factors ranged from low for manganese of 12.14 and arsenic of 15.72, median for copper of 59.15, high for cadmium of 126 and extremely high for zinc with 892.7 and lead 1201.9. In regards to the Bucim copper mine the median values for Cu in samples were 396 mg kg-1 and the ranges from 94.8 to 1171 mg kg-1, for the Topolnica village the median values in samples were 150 mg kg-1 with ranges from 52.5 to 1183 mg kg-1 and for the Bučim village the median values were 145 mg kg-1 and the ranges from 85.3 to 317 mg kg-1.

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