Historical ferrous slag induces modern environmental problems in the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic)

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Authors

FAIMON Jiří BALDÍK Vít BURIÁNEK David REZ Jiří ŠTELCL Jindřich VŠIANSKÝ Dalibor SEDLÁČEK Jan DOSTALÍK Martin NEČAS Jiří NOVOTNÝ Roman HADACZ Roman KRYŠTOFOVÁ Eva NOVOTNÁ Jitka MÜLLER Pavel KRUMLOVÁ Hana ČÁP Pavel FAKTOROVÁ Karolína MALÍK Jan ROHÁČ Jakub KYCL Petr JANDERKOVÁ Jana

Year of publication 2022
Type Article in Periodical
Magazine / Source Science of The Total Environment
MU Faculty or unit

Faculty of Science

Citation
Web https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722045314?via%3Dihub
Doi http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157433
Keywords Ferrous slag; Slag transport/weathering; Rudice Sink – Býčí skála Cave System; Experimental abrasion; Pollutant release; Environmental risk
Description Ferrous slag produced by a historic smelter is washed from a slagheap and transported by a creek through a cave system. Slag filling cave spaces, abrasion of cave walls / calcite speleothems, and contamination of the aquatic environment with heavy metals and other toxic components are concerns. We characterize the slag in its deposition site, map its transport through the cave system, characterize the effect of slag transport, and evaluate the risks to both cave and aqueous environments. The study was based on chemical and phase analysis supported laboratory experiments and geochemical modeling. The slag in the slagheap was dominated by amorphous glass phase (66 to 99 wt%) with mean composition of 49.8 ± 2.8 wt% SiO2, 29.9 ± 1.6 wt% CaO, 13.4 ± 1.2 wt% Al2O3, 2.7 ± 0.3 wt% K2O, and 1.2 ± 0.1 wt% MgO. Minerals such as melilite, plagioclase, anorthite, and wollastonite / pseudowollastonite with lower amounts of quartz, cristobalite, and calcite were detected. Slag enriches the cave environment with Se, As, W, Y, U, Be, Cs, Sc, Cd, Hf, Ba, Th, Cr, Zr, Zn, and V. However, only Zr, V, Co, and As exceed the specified limits for soils (US EPA and EU limits). The dissolution lifetime of a 1 mm3 volume of slag was estimated to be 27,000 years, whereas the mean residence time of the slag in the cave is much shorter, defined by a flood frequency of ca. 47 years. Consequently, the extent of slag weathering and contamination of cave environment by slag weathering products is small under given conditions. However, slag enriched in U and Th can increase radon production as a result of alpha decay. The slag has an abrasive effect on surrounding rocks and disintegrated slag can contaminate calcite speleothems.

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