Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Heavy metal contamination of paddy soils and rice (Oryza sativa L.) from Kočani Field (Macedonia)

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This research focuses on the heavy metal contamination of the paddy soils and rice from Kočani Field (eastern Macedonia) resulting from irrigation by riverine water impacted by past and present base-metal mining activities and acid mine drainage. Very high concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were found in the paddy soils (47.6, 6.4, 99, 983 and 1,245 μg g−1) and the rice (0.53, 0.31, 5.8, 0.5 and 67 μg g−1) in the western part of Kočani Field, close to the Zletovska River, which drains the mining facilities of the Pb–Zn mine in Zletovo. In terms of health risk, the observed highest concentrations of these elements in the rice could have an effect on human health and should be the subject of further investigations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Adriano, D. C. (Ed.). (1986). Trace elements in the terrestrial environment. New York: Springer-Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alam, M. G. M., Snow, E. T., & Tanaka, A. (2003). Arsenic and heavy metal contamination of vegetables grown in Samta village, Bangladesh. The Science of the Total Environment, 308, 83–96. doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(02)00651-4.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berrow, M. L., & Reaves, G. A. (1984). Background levels of trace elements in soils. In Environmental Contamination (1984: London): International Conference (pp. 333–340). Edinburg: CEP Consultants.

  • Bowen, H. J. M. (Ed.). (1979). Environmental chemistry of the elements. New York: Academic.

    Google Scholar 

  • CAC. (2002). Report of the 34th session of the codex committee on food additives and contaminants. The Netherlands: Rotterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cao, Z. H., & Hu, Z. Y. (2000). Copper contamination in paddy soils irrigated with wastewater. Chemosphere, 41, 3–6. doi:10.1016/S0045-6535(99)00383-5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheng, W. D., Zhang, G. P., Yao, H. G., Wu, W., & Xu, M. (2006). Genotypic and environmental variation in cadmium, chromium, arsenic, nickel, and lead concentrations in rice grains. Journal of Zhejiang University, 7, 565–571. doi:10.1631/jzus.2006.B0565.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Commission Regulation Directive EC. (2001). Commission Regulation (EC) No. 466, Official Journal of the European Communities.

  • Dolenec, T., Serafimovski, T., Tasev, G., Dobnikar, M., Dolenec, M., & Rogan, N. (2007). Major and trace elements in paddy soil contaminated by Pb–Zn mining: A case study of Kočani Field, Macedonia. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 29, 21–32. doi:10.1007/s10653-006-9057-x.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dudka, S., Piotrowska, M., Chlopecka, A., & Witek, T. (1995). Trace metal contamination of soils and crop plants by the mining and smelting industry in Upper Silesia, South Poland. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 52, 237–250. doi:10.1016/0375-6742(94)00047-F.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • GFME. (1992). German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Novelle zur Verordnung über das Aufringen von Klärschlamm (Bundesgesetzblatt).

  • Jung, M. C. (1995). Heavy metal contamination of soils, plants, waters and sediments in the vicinity of metalliferous mines in Korea. Dissertation, University of London, London.

  • Jung, M. C. (2001). Heavy metal contamination of soils and waters in and around the Imcheon Au–Ag mine, Korea. Applied Geochemistry, 16, 1369–1375. doi:10.1016/S0883-2927(01)00040-3.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jung, M. C., & Thornton, I. (1996). Heavy metal contamination of soils and plants in the vicinity of a lead–zinc mine, Korea. Applied Geochemistry, 11, 53–59. doi:10.1016/0883-2927(95)00075-5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jung, M. C., & Thornton, I. (1997). Environmental contamination and seasonal variation of metals in soils, plants and waters in the paddy fields around a Pb–Zn mine in Korea. The Science of the Total Environment, 198, 105–121. doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(97)05434-X.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jung, M. C., Yun, S. T., Lee, J. S., & Lee, J. U. (2005). Baseline study on essential and trace elements in polished rice from South Korea. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 27, 455–464. doi:10.1007/s10653-005-4221-2.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kabata-Pendias, A., & Pendias, H. (2001). Trace elements in soils and plants (3rd ed.). Boca Raton: CRC.

    Google Scholar 

  • Korre, A., Durucan, S., & Koutroumani, A. (2002). Quantitative-spatial assessment of the risks associated with high Pb loads in soils around Lavrio, Greece. Applied Geochemistry, 17, 1029–1045. doi:10.1016/S0883-2927(02)00058-6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, C. G., Chon, H. T., & Jung, M. C. (2001). Heavy metal contamination in the vicinity of the Daduk Au–Ag–Pb–Zn mine in Korea. Applied Geochemistry, 16, 1377–1386. doi:10.1016/S0883-2927(01)00038-5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lee, J. S., Chon, H. T., & Kim, K. W. (2005). Human risk assessment of As, Cd, Cu and Zn in the abandoned metal mine site. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 27, 185–191. doi:10.1007/s10653-005-0131-6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu, H., Probst, A., & Liao, B. (2005). Metal contamination of soils and crops affected by the Chenzhou lead/zinc mine spill (Hunan, China). The Science of the Total Environment, 339, 153–166. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2004.07.030.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lu, X., & Zhang, X. (2005). Environmental geochemistry study of arsenic in Western Hunan mining area, P.R. China. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, V27, 313–320. doi:10.1007/s10653-004-5735-8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nriagu, J. O., & Lin, T.-S. (1995). Trace metals in wild rice sold in the United States. The Science of the Total Environment, 172, 223–228. doi:10.1016/0048-9697(95)04809-X.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pilc, L., Rosada, J., & Siepak, J. (1994). Heavy metals concentration in soil, water and plants in the emission region of copper foundry “Głogów”. Materiaty Sesji Naukowej Instytutu Ochrony Roślin, 2, 228–232.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogan, N., Serafimovski, T., Jačimović, R., Dolenec, M., & Dolenec, T. (2007). Major and trace elements in rice seeds from Kočani Field (Macedonia). Acta Chimica Slovenica, 54, 623–634.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Roychowdhury, T., Tokunaga, H., & Ando, M. (2003). Survey of arsenic and other heavy metals in food composites and drinking water and estimation of dietary intake by the villagers from an arsenic-affected area of West Bengal, India. The Science of the Total Environment, 308, 15–35. doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(02)00612-5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Serafimovski, T., Alderton, D. H. M., Dolenec, T., Tasev, G., & Dolenec, M. (2005). Heavy metals in sediments and soils around the Bučim copper mine area. Geologica Macedonica, 19, 69–81.

    Google Scholar 

  • Serafimovski, T., & Aleksandrov, M. (Eds.). (1995). Lead and zinc deposits and occurrences in the Republic of Macedonia. Special edition of RGF, No. 4, 387 pp., with extended summary in English, Stip.

  • Simmons, R. W., Pongsakul, P., Saiyasitpanich, D., & Klinphoklap, S. (2005). Elevated levels of cadmium and zinc in paddy soils and elevated levels of cadmium in rice grain downstream of a zinc mineralized area in Thailand: Implications for public health. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 27, 501–511. doi:10.1007/s10653-005-7857-z.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Uradni list RS. (1996). Uredba o mejnih opozorilnih in kritičnih emisijskih vrednostih nevarnih snovi v tleh. Uradni list, 68, 5773–5774.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitby, L. M., Gaynor, J., & Maclean, A. J. (1978). Metals in soils of some agricultural watersheds in Ontario. Canadian Journal of Soil Science, 58, 325–330.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WHO. (1981). Task group on environmental health criteria for arsenic: Arsenic. Environmental Health Criteria, pp. 1–174. (Geneva, Switzerland).

  • WHO. (1992). Cadmium (EHC no. 134). Geneva, Switzerland.

  • WHO. (1998). Copper (EHC no. 200). Geneva, Switzerland.

  • Witek, T., Piotrowska, M., & Motowicka-Terelak, T. (1992). Scope and methods of changing the structure of the agriculture in the most contaminated areas of Katowice district I. Tarnowskie Gory region. Technical report (Pulawy).

  • Witte, K. M., Wanty, R. B., & Ridley, W. I. (2004). Engelman spruce (Picea engelmannii) as abiological monitor of changes in soil metal loading related to past mining activity. Applied Geochemistry, 19, 1367–1376. doi:10.1016/j.apgeochem.2004.01.022.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wong, S. C., Li, X. D., Zhang, G., Qi, S. H., & Min, Y. S. (2002). Heavy metals in agricultural soils of the Pearl River Delta, South China. Environmental Pollution, 119, 33–44. doi:10.1016/S0269-7491(01)00325-6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Q. W., Lan, C. Y., Wang, H. B., Zhuang, P., & Shu, W. S. (2006). Cadmium in soil-rice system and health risk associated with the use of untreated mining wastewater for irrigation in Lechang, China. Agricultural Water Management, 84, 147–152. doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2006.01.005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Q. W., Shu, W. S., Qiu, J. W., Wang, H. B., & Lan, C. Y. (2004). Lead in paddy soils and rice plants and its potential health risk around Lechang Lead/Zinc Mine, Guangdong, China. Environment International, 30, 883–889. doi:10.1016/j.envint.2004.02.002.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was financially supported by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Republic of Slovenia (Bilateral Project between Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia for the years 2004–2005), and Geoexp, d.o.o., Tržič, Slovenia. Thanks to Dr. Paul McGuiness for linguistic corrections.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Aškerčeva 12, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Nastja Rogan, Matej Dolenec & Tadej Dolenec

  2. Faculty of Mining and Geology, Goce Delčev 89, Stip, Macedonia

    Todor Serafimovski & Goran Tasev

  3. Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Tadej Dolenec

Authors
  1. Nastja Rogan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Todor Serafimovski
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Matej Dolenec
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Goran Tasev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tadej Dolenec
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tadej Dolenec.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rogan, N., Serafimovski, T., Dolenec, M. et al. Heavy metal contamination of paddy soils and rice (Oryza sativa L.) from Kočani Field (Macedonia). Environ Geochem Health 31, 439–451 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-008-9197-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-008-9197-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation