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Modelling the Potential Effects of the Hungarian Red Mud Disaster on Soil Properties

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Abstract

In this experiment, the effects of the Hungarian red mud disaster were studied in a soil column experiment focusing on element solubility. The effect of flooding with the highly alkaline red mud suspension and the effect of the percolation of precipitation water through the 10 cm thick red mud layer were modelled separately. Both scenarios affected the soil pH up to a depth of 80 cm. An increase in the total element concentration was only observed for Na and Mo, probably due to the leaching of red mud particles measuring 0.05–0.02 and <0.002 mm in the column. At the same time, the water-soluble concentrations of the potentially toxic elements As, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn rose, at least in the top soil layer, but the concentration values remained below the limit values laid down by quality standards. Over a longer period of time, the main environmental risk raised by the disaster is the secondary salinization of the area.

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Acknowledgements

This work was funded by National Innovation Office (SOILUTIL, TECH-09-A4-2009-0129). The authors would like to thank Hilda Hernádi (University of Pannonia) for her valuable assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Soil Sciences and Agricultural Chemistry, Centre for Agricultural Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, 1022, Budapest, Herman Ottó Str. 15, Hungary

    Attila Anton, Márk Rékási & Nikolett Uzinger

  2. Department of Crop Production and Soil Science, University of Pannonia Georgikon Faculty, 8360, Keszthely, Festetics Str. 7, Hungary

    Gábor Széplábi & András Makó

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  1. Attila Anton
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  2. Márk Rékási
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Correspondence to Márk Rékási.

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Anton, A., Rékási, M., Uzinger, N. et al. Modelling the Potential Effects of the Hungarian Red Mud Disaster on Soil Properties. Water Air Soil Pollut 223, 5175–5188 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-012-1269-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-012-1269-3

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