Heavy metal contamination of soils at old mining sites on Thasos Island, Greece

Abstract

Thasos Island has a long history of metalliferous mining, the first mining activities having been initiated by the Phoenicians during the seventh century. The mineralogy of the mineralisation includes primary minerals (galena, sphalerite) and secondary oxidised minerals (smithsonite, cerussite). In the soils studied only secondary minerals were found. Clay minerals (kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite, mixed layer clays), plagioclase, calcite and dolomite are also present in the soils. Contamination derived from the old mining sites results in extremely high levels of Pb, Zn, Mn, Fe, As, Sb, Ag, Cd in soils in the vicinity of the old workings. Since many of the Thasos mining sites are in, or adjacent to, areas of agricultural land, plants growing on the polluted sous have increased concentrations of heavy metals. This may well have a possible effect on livestock.