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Chromium speciation and existing natural attenuation conditions in lagoonal and pond sediments in the former chemical plant of Porto-Romano (Albania)

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Environmental Geology

Abstract

Near the outskirts of the Albanian port of Durres on the Adriatic Coast, at a place called Porto Romano, an old chemical complex has been producing chromate salts for a period of ∼20 years (1972–1993). As a result large quantities of chromite ore processing residue (COPR) waste were released mainly as suspended particles and/or dissolved species in effluents, which settled in a decantation pond area, 200 × 250 m in size, east of the industrial plant. Unfortunately, pollutants were spread out with time. Knowing that chromium mobility and toxicity in natural settings is species dependent, the species characterization has been carried out in different sampling media (pond sediments, lagoonal sediments and water samples). Five pond profiles were sampled within the decantation area up to a depth of ∼1 m, till the underlying Quaternary lagoonal silty-clays were reached. Total Cr content is highly variable with values between 1,130 and 24,409 mg/kg which is clearly higher than the defined local background values for lagoonal silty-clays (198 mg/kg of Cr). Leaching of Cr(VI) especially occurs in the pond sediments, which are low in OC, CEC and clay content, under acidic and neutral pH conditions (e.g. up to ∼2,230 mg/kg Cr(VI) leached from a sample containing a total concentration of Cr 12,200 mg/kg). Moreover, leaching of the Cr(III) occurs only under strictly acidic conditions (maximum 1,144 mg/kg leached from a sample containing a total Cr-concentration of 17,608 mg/kg). In this study also a number of natural attenuation conditions (i.e. reaction with lagoonal clays rich in organic matter and iron as well as isomorphous substitution) have been recognized.

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Acknowledgments

Shtiza Aurela has beneficiated from the financial support of the Katholieke Universiteit of Leuven (East European Initiatives Project 3E000659). Grateful acknowledgments are extended to Ria Brepoels and Danny Coetermans for their assistance during the laboratory work. The help of Liesbeth Horckmans with the geochemical modelling and Stijn Dewaele for the interpretation of the clay XRD analysis is highly appreciated. The authors would like to thank also two reviewers for providing helpful suggestions which improved the original manuscript.

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  1. Faculty of Sciences, Geology Department, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001, Heverlee, Belgium

    A. Shtiza & R. Swennen

  2. Faculty of Geology and Mining, Geochemistry Department, Polytechnic University Tirana, Rr. Elbasanit, Tirana, Albania

    A. Tashko

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  1. A. Shtiza
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  2. R. Swennen
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Correspondence to A. Shtiza.

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Shtiza, A., Swennen, R. & Tashko, A. Chromium speciation and existing natural attenuation conditions in lagoonal and pond sediments in the former chemical plant of Porto-Romano (Albania). Environ Geol 53, 1107–1128 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00254-007-0703-0

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