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Environmental study for pollution in the area of Megalopolis power plant (Peloponnesos, Greece)

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the suitability of magnetic properties in correlation to geochemical measurements as a pollution-monitoring tool and study the metal transmission factors in an area around a major local source, namely a lignite-burning power plant. Surface soil samples were collected in the wide area of the power plant of Megalopolis (Peloponnesos, Greece). The magnetic susceptibility and other magnetic properties of the surface soils were originally measured and mapped. Loci of high values of magnetic susceptibility within the study area gave rise to further analyze the soil samples for metal concentrations. GIS techniques were used for mapping all the chemical constituent concentrations and the magnetic measurements on the various topographic and geological features of the area. Maps were created through interpolation algorithms indicating the spatial distribution of the above measurements. Spatial tools and statistical analysis through the calculation of Pearson’s coefficients proved the correlation between magnetic properties, metal concentrations and the terrain attributes (especially the geological structure and the wind currents) of the region.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the Public Power Corporation (DEI) for providing the topographic data and information for the study area. Special thanks also to Prof. R. Scholger for his valuable suggestions and for allowing us to carry out the ARM measurements in the Palaeomagnetic Laboratory Gams of Leoben University in Austria. We wish to thank Dr. Sultan Awad Sultan Araffa and an anonymous reviewer for their constructive criticism, which improved a version of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Geophysical–Satellite Remote Sensing & Archaeo-environment, Institute for Mediterranean Studies, Foundation for Research and Technology—Hellas, P.O. Box 119, 74100, Rethymnon, Crete, Greece

    Apostolos Sarris & Georgia Kakoulaki

  2. Laboratory of Geophysics and Seismology, Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Technological Educational Institute Crete, 3 Romanou Str. Chalepa, 73133, Chania, Crete, Greece

    Eleni Kokinou, Kassiani Droulia & Ourania Damianovits

  3. Department of Geophysics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54006, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Eleni Aidona

  4. Analytical and Environmental Chemistry Lab, Technical University of Crete, Chania, Crete, Greece

    Nikolaos Kallithrakas-Kontos & Pavlos Koulouridakis

Authors
  1. Apostolos Sarris
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  2. Eleni Kokinou
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  3. Eleni Aidona
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  4. Nikolaos Kallithrakas-Kontos
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  5. Pavlos Koulouridakis
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  6. Georgia Kakoulaki
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  7. Kassiani Droulia
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  8. Ourania Damianovits
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eleni Kokinou.

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Sarris, A., Kokinou, E., Aidona, E. et al. Environmental study for pollution in the area of Megalopolis power plant (Peloponnesos, Greece). Environ Geol 58, 1769–1783 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1676-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-008-1676-3

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