Abstract
Mining activity is one of the most important sources of heavy metals in the environment. In NE Tunisia, the former Jebel Ressas mine represents a great hazard due to huge amounts of waste deposited in waste dumps and tailings often with high concentration of heavy metal pollution. The aim of this study was to determine total heavy metal contents in the mining wastes and in the soil samples collected in the vicinity of the former Jebel Ressas mine and to evaluate the mobility of heavy metals in the surrounding agricultural soils. The pH, CEC, organic matter content and total carbonate content in all the samples (soil and tailings) were also measured using the standard methods. The mine tailings are characterized by high levels of Cd (18–89 mg kg−1), Pb (433–5845 mg kg−1) and Zn (1682–40970 mg kg−1). The adjacent soils were also highly contaminated with metals. These toxic metal concentrations exceed those environmental standards proposed by the Off J Eur Communities L181: 6–12 (1986) for agricultural soils (3, 300, and 300 mg kg−1 for Cd, Pb and Zn, respectively). Selective extractions used to estimate the risks of toxic element mobilization show that a very low proportion of heavy metals is water soluble and exchangeable.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adamo P, Zampella M (2008) Chemical speciation to assess potentially toxic metals (PTMs) bioavailability and geochemical forms in polluted soils. In: De Vivo B, Belkin HE, Lima A (eds) Environmental geochemistry: site characterization, data analysis and case histories. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp 175–212
Aubert G (1978) Méthodes d’analyses des sols. C.R.D.P, Marseille
Banin A, Gerstl Z, Fine P, Metzger Z, Newrzella D (1990) Minimizing soil contamination through control of sludge transformations in soil. Joint German-Israel research projects report. N°: Wt 8678/458
Bouhlel S (1993) Gîtologie, minéralogie et essai de modélisation des minéralisations à F-Ba-Sr-Pb-Zn-(S°) associées aux carbonates (jurassiques et cretacés) et aux diapirs triasiques: gisements de Stah-Kohol, Zriba-Guebli, Bou Jaber et Fej Lahdoum (Tunisie Septentrionale) Thèse d’Etat Es-Sciences géologiques. Université de Tunis, FST 293p
Boussen S, Sebei A, Soubrand-Colin M, Bril HF, Chaabani Abdeljaouad S (2010) Mobilization of lead-zinc rich particles from mine tailings in northern Tunisia by aeolian and run-off processes. Bull Soc Géol Fr 181:371–379
Chakroun HK, Souissi F, Bouchardon JL, Souissi R, Moutte J, Faure O, Remon E, Abdeljaoued S (2010) Transfer and accumulation of lead, zinc, cadmium and copper in plants growing in abandoned mining-district area. Afr J Environ Sci Technol 4:651–659
Chiu KK, Ye ZH, Wong MH (2006) Growth of Vetiveria zizanioides and Phragmities australis on Pb/Zn and Cu mine tailings amended with manure compost and sewage sludge: a greenhouse study. Bioresour Technol 97:158–170
Clemente R, Paredes C, Bernal MP (2007) A field experiment investigating the effects of olive husk and cow manure on heavy metal availability in a contaminated calcareous soil from Murcia, Spain. Agric Ecosyst Environ 118:319–326
Concas A, Ardau C, Cristini A, Zuddas P, Cao G (2006) Mobility of heavy metals from tailings to stream waters in a mining activity contaminated site. Chemosphere 63:244–253
Conesa HM, Faz A, Arnaldos R (2007) Initial studies for the phytostabilization of a mine tailing from the Cartagena-La Union Mining District (SE Spain). Chemosphere 66:38–44
Cornu S, Clozel B (2000) Extractions séquentielles et spéciation des éléments traces métalliques dans les sols naturels. Etude et Gestion des Sols 7:179–189
Council of the European Communities (1986) Directive (86/278/EEC) on the protection of the environment, and in particular of the soil, when sewage sludge is used in agriculture. Off J Eur Communities L181:6–12
Cuong DT, Obbard JP (2006) Metal speciation in coastal marine sediments from Singapore using a modified BCR-sequential extraction procedure. Appl Geochem 21:1335–1346
Direction Générale des Mines (2005) Annuaire statistique, mines et dérivés. Ministère de l’Industrie (1997–2005), p. 30. Tunis
Esshaimi M, Ouazzani N, El Gharmali A, Berrekhis F, Valiente M, Mandi L (2013) Speciation of heavy metals in the soil and the tailings, in the zinc-lead Sidi Bou Othmane Abandoned Mine. J Environ Earth Sci 3:138–146
García-Sánchez A, Alonso-Rojo P, Santos-Francés F (2010) Distribution and mobility of arsenic in soils of a mining area (Western Spain). Sci Total Environ 408:4194–4201
Ghorbel M, Munoz M, Courjault-Radé P, Destrigneville C, Souissi R, Souissi F, Ben Mammou A, Abdeljaouad S (2010) Health risk assessment for human exposure by direct ingestion of Pb, Cd, Zn bearing dust in the former miner’s village of Jebel Ressas (NE Tunisia). Eur J Mineral 22:639–649
Gupta SK, Aten C (1993) Comparison and evaluation of extraction media and their suitability in a simple model to predict the biological relevance of heavy metal concentrations in contaminated soils. Int J Environ Anal Chem 51:25–46
Han FX, Banin A (1995) Selective sequential dissolution techniques for trace metals in arid zone soil: the carbonate dissolution step. Comm Soil Sci Plant Anal 26:553–576
Iavazzo P, Adamo P, Boni M, Hillier S, Zampella M (2012a) Mineralogy and chemical forms of lead and zinc in abandoned mine wastes and soils: an example from Morocco. J Geochem Explor 113:56–67
Iavazzo P, Ducci D, Adamo P, Trifuoggi M, Migliozzi A, Boni M (2012b) Impact of past mining activity on the quality of water and soil in the High Moulouya Valley (Morocco). Water Air Soil Poll 223:573–589
Jacob DL, Otte ML (2004) Influence of Typha latifolia and fertilization on metal mobility in two different Pb-Zn mine tailings types. Sci Total Environ 333:9–24
Jemmali N, Souissi F, Vennemann TW, Carranza EJM (2011) Genesis of the Jurassic Carbonate-Hosted Pb–Zn deposits of Jebel Ressas (North-Eastern Tunisia): evidence from mineralogy, petrography and trace metal contents and isotope (O, C, S, Pb) geochemistry. Resour Geol 61:367–383
Kabala C, Singh BR (2001) Fractionation and mobility of copper, lead, and zinc in soil profiles in the vicinity of a copper smelter. J Enviro Qual 30:485–492
Lebourg A, Sterckeman T, Ciesielski H, Proix N (1996) Intérêt de différents réactifs d’extraction chimique pour l’évaluation de la biodisponibilité des métaux en traces du sol. Agronomie 16:201–215
Li X, Thornton I (2001) Chemical partitioning of trace and major elements in soils contaminated by mining and smelting activities. Appl Geochem 16:1693–1706
Lindsay WL (1979) Chemical Equilibria in Soils. Wiley, Chichester, p 450
Lottermoser BG (2007) Mine wastes, characterization, treatment, environmental impacts, 2nd edn. Springer, New York
Mlayah A, Ferreira da Silva E, Rocha F, Ben Hamza Ch, Charef A, Noronha F (2009) The Oued Mellègue: mining activity, stream sediments and dispersion of base metals in natural environments. North-western Tunisia J Geochem Explor 102:27–36
Navarro MC, Perez-Sirvent C, Martinez-Sanchez MJ, Vidal J, Tovar PJ, Bech J (2008) Abandoned mine sites as a source of contamination by heavy metals: a case study in a semiaridzone. J Geochem Explor 96:183–193
Ramos Arroyo YR, Siebe C (2007) Weathering of sulphide minerals and trace element speciation in tailings of various ages in the Guanajuato mining district, Mexico. Catena 71:497–506
Rodriguez L, Ruiz E, Alonso-Azcarate J, Rincon J (2009) Heavy metal distribution and chemical speciation in tailings and soils around a Pb–Zn mine in Spain. J Environ Manage 90:1106–1116
Sebei A, Chaabani F, Ouerfelli K, Abdeljaoued S (2006) Evaluation de la contamination des sols par les métaux lourds dans la région minière de Fedj Lahdoum (NW de la Tunisie), Rev Médit Environ. Tunisie, pp.1–13
Smuda J, Dold B, Spangenberg JE, Pfeifer HR (2008) Geochemistry and stable isotope composition of fresh alkaline porphyry copper tailings: implications on sources and mobility of elements during transport and early stages of deposition. Chem Geol 256:62–76
Sumner ME, Miller WP (1996) Cation exchange capacity and exchange coefficients. In: Chao TT, Sanzolone RF (1992) Decomposition techniques. J Geochem Explor 44: 65–106
Thomas GW (1996) Soil pH and soil acidity. In: Sparks DL et al (eds) Methods of soil analysis part 3. Chemical method. American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI, pp 475–490
Umoren IU, Udoh AP, Udousoro II (2007) Concentration and chemical speciation for the determination of Cu, Zn, Ni, Pb, and Cd from refuse dump soils using the optimized BCR sequential extraction procedure. Environmentalist 27:241–252
Ure AM, Davidson CM (2002) Chemical speciation in soils and related materials by selective chemical extraction. In: Ure AM, Davidson CM (eds) Chemical speciation in the environment. Blackwell Science, Oxford, pp 265–300
Wang X, Liu Y, Zeng G, Chai L, Xiao X, Song X, Min Z (2008) Pedological characteristics of Mn mine tailings and metal accumulation by native plants. Chemosphere 72:1260–1266
Xiang HF, Tang HA, Ying QH (1995) Transformation and distribution of forms of zinc in acid, neutral and calcareous soils of China. Geoderma 66:121–135
Yobouet YA, Adouby K, Trokourey A, Yao B (2010) Cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc speciation in contaminated soils. Int J Eng Sci Technol 2:802–812
Yusuf KA (2007) Sequential extractions of lead, copper, cadmium, and zinc in soils near Ojota waste site. J Agron 6:331–337
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank Prof. Baghdad Ouddane of the University of Sciences and Technology of Lille (France) for his help in chemical analysis. Also, thanks to the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments that led to an improved manuscript.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Elouear, Z., Bouhamed, F., Boujelben, N. et al. Assessment of toxic metals dispersed from improperly disposed tailing, Jebel Ressas mine, NE Tunisia. Environ Earth Sci 75, 254 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-5035-x
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-5035-x