Carpathian Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences

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ARTICLE IN Volume 3, 2008 - Number 2

Geochemical background in heavy metals and human health risk assessment at an ore mine site, Gyöngyösorszi(North Hungary)



Enikö Rózsa GAZDAGa,b & Emese SIPTERc,d
aDepartment of Applied and Environmental Geology and Hydrogeology, Eötvös Loránd University, 1117 Budapest, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, Hungary
bSmaragd-GSH Ltd., 1114 Budapest, Villányi út 9., Hungary
cDepartment of Labor and Environmental Health, Semmelweis University, 1096 Budapest, Nagyvárad tér 2., Hungary
dDepartment of Applied Biotechnology and Food Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Szent Gellért tér 4., Hungary

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Abstract

The pseudototal concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and zinc (Zn) were determined in the topsoil samples collected at Gyöngyösoroszi (North Hungary) and outskirts of the town. The main aim of this study is to summarize the geochemical features of the area and to evaluate the human health risk for the residents in the town based on the pseudototal concentration values in soil. The results indicate variable pollution of the topsoil and determined two area types with the most hazardous heavy metal contamination. According to the high concentration values measured in the sediment of creeks, the lead and zinc contents are the most striking, whereas the real hazard is caused by the high arsenic concentration. Mercury values exceed the threshold level only at a few sites due to the geochemical features independent from the mining.
Keywords:
  • arsenic
  • heavy
  • metals
  • geochemical
  • relationship
  • mining
  • soil
  • pollution
  • human
  • health
  • risk
  • assessment
  • Gy&#246
  • ngy&#246
  • soroszi
  • Hungary

How to cite

Enikö Rózsa GAZDAG & Emese SIPTER (2008). Geochemical background in heavy metals and human health risk assessment at an ore mine site, Gyöngyösorszi(North Hungary)

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