Abstract
In soils, animals and plants from selected sites in the Rustenburg mining area, a part of the South African ore belt, the heavy metal burden was examined. These sites belong to different soil types and are characterized by different land-use (agriculture, grassland). The heavy metal contamination of the soil samples is relatively high and is dominated by chromium and nickel, metals, which are extracted in the mine near the sampling sites. These high heavy metal concentrations had no clear inhibitory influence on micro-organisms or the enzyme activity of soils. It appears that the high clay content of the soils may counteract the influence of heavy metals. On the other hand, tolerant microbial populations may have been established. In addition, the investigated culture plants there was no correlation between the heavy metal content of the soils and the concentrations in roots and shoots. The dangerous, potential contamination of organs in humans seems to be modest, with the exception of tobacco leaves. The heavy metal content of tissues in the examined animals reflect the environmental habitat in situ with no obvious influence on the health of the animals.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Rainbow PS, Hopkin SP, Crane M (2001): Forecasting the Environ- mental Fate and Effects of Chemicals. Wiley-VCH, Weinheim
Sterner O (1999): Chemistry, Health and Environment. Wiley-VCH, New York, Weinheim
Ftiessbach A, Martens R, Reber HH (1994): Soil microbial biomass and microbial activity in soils treated with heavy-metal contaminated sewage-sludge. Soil Biology & Biochemistry26, 1201–1205
Alloway BJ, Ayres DC (1993): Chemical Principles of Environmental Pollution. Chapman & Hall, London
Calow P (1994): Handbook of Ecotoxicology. Blackwell Scientific Publishers, London & Edinburgh
Dietz K-J, Baier M, Kräimer U (1999): Free radicals and reactive oxygen species as mediators of heavy metal toxicity in plants. In: Prasad MNV, Hagemeyer J (eds): Heavy metal stress in plants. From Molecule to ecosystems. Springer Verlag, Berlin & Heidelberg, pp 73–97
Gwózdz EA, Przymusinski R, Rucinska R, Deckert J (1997): Plant cell response to heavy metals: molecular and physiological aspects. Acta Physiologiae Plantarum19, 459–465
Merian E (1991): Metals and their compounds in the environment. VCH, Weinheim
Blumenstein O, Meiklejohn I, Schachtzabel H (eds) (2001): Investigation of Environmental Quality and Social Structures in a Mining Area in the North West Province of South Africa. Stoffdynamik in Geo-systemen (Potsdam), Vot 5
Cawthorn RG (1999a): The platinum and palladium resources of the Bushveld Complex. South African J Sci 95 (11/12), 481–489
Cawthorn RG (1999b): Geological models for platinum-group metal mineralization in the Bushveld Complex. South African J Sci95 (11/ 12), 490–498
Carruthers V (1990): The Magaliesberg. Southern Book Publishers, Johannesburg
Du Plessis HM (1987): Land types of the maps 2526 Rustenburg and 2528 Pretoria. Men agric nat res South Africa (Pretoria), No 8
SRI (1970): Soil Map 2527 - Rustenburg (1:50 000 Scale). Soil Research Institute, Soil Survey, Pretoria
Macvicar CN (1991): Soil classification. A taxonomic system for South Africa. Institute for Soil, Climate and Water, Soil Classification Working Group, Pretoria
Low AB, Rebelo AG (1998): Vegetation of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Department of Environmental Affairs & Tourism, Pretoria
Van derMeulen F, Westfall RH (1980): Structural analysis of Bushveld in Transvaal. J Biogeography7, 337–348
SAWC (1990): Handbook of Standard Soil Testing Methods for Advisory Purposes. The Soit Science Society of South Africa, Soil Analysis Work Committee, Pretoria
Scheffer F, Schachtschabel P (1992): Lehrbuch der Bodenkunde. Enke-Verlag, Stuttgart
Alef K (1991): Methodenhandbuch Bodenmikrobiologie. ecomed, Landsberg
Schinner F, Ohlinger R, Kandeler E, Margesin R (1993): Bodenbiologische Arbeitsmethoden. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York
ASTM (2000): Standard Practices for Digestion of Samples for Determination of Metals by Flame Atomic Absorption or Plasma Emission Spectroscopy. In: American Society for Testing and Materials (ed): Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Section 11, Vol 1, pp 192–195
Welz B, Sperling M (1998): Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Wiley-VCH, New York, Weinheim
Passmore NI, Carruthers V (1995): South African Frogs: A Complete Guide. Southern Book Publishers & Witwatersrand University Press, Johannesburg
Kelly JJ, Tate RL (1998): Effects of heavy metal contamination and remediation on soil microbial communities in the vicinity of a zinc smelter. J Environ Qual27, 609–617
Rengel Z (1999): Heavy metals as essential nutrients. In: Prasad MNV, Hagemeyer J (eds): Heavy metal stress in plants. From Molecule to ecosystems. Springer Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, pp 231–251
Streit B (1994): Lexikon Okotoxikologie (2. Auflage). Wiley-VCH, New York, Weinheim
Rodenkirchen H, Roberts BA (1993): Soils and plant nutrition on a serpentinized ridge in South Germany. Z Pflartzenernäihrung und Bodenkunde156, 411–413
Zayed A, Mel Lytle C, Qian J-H, Terry N (1998): Chromium accumulation, translocation and chemical speeiation in vegetable crops. Planta206, 293–299
Pamaik P (1999): A Comprehensive Guide to the Hazardous Properties of Chemical Substances. Wiley-VCH, New York, Weinheim
Helmisaari HS, Derome VJ, Fritze H, Nieminen T, Palmgren K, Salemaa M, Vanha-Majamaa I (1995): Copper in Scots pine forests around a heavy-metal smelter in south-western Finland. Water, Air and Soil Pollution85 (3) 1727
Linder MC, Goode CA (1991): Biochemistry of Copper. Plenum Press, New York
Katz SA, Salem H (1994): The biological and environmental chemistry of chromium. VCH Publishers, New York
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gzik, A., Kuehling, M., Schneider, I. et al. Heavy metal contamination of soils in a mining area in South Africa and its impact on some biotic systems. J Soils & Sediments 3, 29–34 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02989466
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02989466