Ecological Characterization and Bio-Mitigation Potential of Heavy Metal Contamination in Metallurgically Affected Soil
Heavy metals (HMs) remain persistent in soil for a long time and thus present a long-term threat of environmental pollution. In this study, the concentrations of some HMs (As, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Mo) in soil, potentially affected by the ex-operation of a metallurgical plant—specifically, a copper smelte...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/13/6312 |
| _version_ | 1827655651165208576 |
|---|---|
| author | Varuzhan Hovhannisyan Ashok Vaseashta Lyudmila Avanesyan Ruzanna Sadoyan Armen Gasparyan Sirine Shogheryan Laura Harutyunova Lyudmila Mirumyan Gor Gevorgyan |
| author_facet | Varuzhan Hovhannisyan Ashok Vaseashta Lyudmila Avanesyan Ruzanna Sadoyan Armen Gasparyan Sirine Shogheryan Laura Harutyunova Lyudmila Mirumyan Gor Gevorgyan |
| author_sort | Varuzhan Hovhannisyan |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Heavy metals (HMs) remain persistent in soil for a long time and thus present a long-term threat of environmental pollution. In this study, the concentrations of some HMs (As, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Mo) in soil, potentially affected by the ex-operation of a metallurgical plant—specifically, a copper smelter in Alaverdi Town, northeastern Armenia—were measured, based on which, the HM contamination and its ecological, biological, and health effects were assessed. Concentrations of HMs (Cu, Zn, and Pb) were also measured in different plant (leaves) and invertebrate species that occur in the soil over the metallurgical factory site in order to assess the potential for the bioremoval of HMs from the soil. The results showed that the ex-operation of the metallurgical facility created such contamination in the soil that it caused a noticeable loss of invertebrate biomass in the soil and posed ecological, non-carcinogenic (for children), and carcinogenic health hazards. The investigated plant and invertebrate species were characterized by different capacities for the accumulation of HMs from the soil, based on which the plant species <i>Fraxinus excelsior</i>, <i>Acer platanoides</i>, <i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i>, and <i>Aesculus hippocastanum</i> and the invertebrate species <i>Deroceras caucasicum</i>, <i>Limax flavus</i>, and <i>Eisenia rosea</i> are recommended to be used for the selective removal of HMs (Cu, Zn, and Pb) from the soil. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:09:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ac0255b0bf9c4ac590fd2165380f6b64 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T22:09:39Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-ac0255b0bf9c4ac590fd2165380f6b642023-11-23T19:34:27ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172022-06-011213631210.3390/app12136312Ecological Characterization and Bio-Mitigation Potential of Heavy Metal Contamination in Metallurgically Affected SoilVaruzhan Hovhannisyan0Ashok Vaseashta1Lyudmila Avanesyan2Ruzanna Sadoyan3Armen Gasparyan4Sirine Shogheryan5Laura Harutyunova6Lyudmila Mirumyan7Gor Gevorgyan8Scientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, National Academy of Sciences of Republic of Armenia, Yerevan 0014, ArmeniaOffice of Applied Research, International Clean Water Institute, Manassas, VA 20112, USAChair of Ecology and Sustainable Development, Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan, Yerevan 0010, ArmeniaChair of Ecology and Sustainable Development, Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan, Yerevan 0010, ArmeniaChair of Ecology and Sustainable Development, Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan, Yerevan 0010, ArmeniaChair of Ecology and Sustainable Development, Armenian State Pedagogical University after Khachatur Abovyan, Yerevan 0010, ArmeniaScientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, National Academy of Sciences of Republic of Armenia, Yerevan 0014, ArmeniaScientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, National Academy of Sciences of Republic of Armenia, Yerevan 0014, ArmeniaScientific Center of Zoology and Hydroecology, National Academy of Sciences of Republic of Armenia, Yerevan 0014, ArmeniaHeavy metals (HMs) remain persistent in soil for a long time and thus present a long-term threat of environmental pollution. In this study, the concentrations of some HMs (As, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Mo) in soil, potentially affected by the ex-operation of a metallurgical plant—specifically, a copper smelter in Alaverdi Town, northeastern Armenia—were measured, based on which, the HM contamination and its ecological, biological, and health effects were assessed. Concentrations of HMs (Cu, Zn, and Pb) were also measured in different plant (leaves) and invertebrate species that occur in the soil over the metallurgical factory site in order to assess the potential for the bioremoval of HMs from the soil. The results showed that the ex-operation of the metallurgical facility created such contamination in the soil that it caused a noticeable loss of invertebrate biomass in the soil and posed ecological, non-carcinogenic (for children), and carcinogenic health hazards. The investigated plant and invertebrate species were characterized by different capacities for the accumulation of HMs from the soil, based on which the plant species <i>Fraxinus excelsior</i>, <i>Acer platanoides</i>, <i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i>, and <i>Aesculus hippocastanum</i> and the invertebrate species <i>Deroceras caucasicum</i>, <i>Limax flavus</i>, and <i>Eisenia rosea</i> are recommended to be used for the selective removal of HMs (Cu, Zn, and Pb) from the soil.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/13/6312heavy metalcontaminationsoilecological hazardhealth effectbio-mitigation |
| spellingShingle | Varuzhan Hovhannisyan Ashok Vaseashta Lyudmila Avanesyan Ruzanna Sadoyan Armen Gasparyan Sirine Shogheryan Laura Harutyunova Lyudmila Mirumyan Gor Gevorgyan Ecological Characterization and Bio-Mitigation Potential of Heavy Metal Contamination in Metallurgically Affected Soil Applied Sciences heavy metal contamination soil ecological hazard health effect bio-mitigation |
| title | Ecological Characterization and Bio-Mitigation Potential of Heavy Metal Contamination in Metallurgically Affected Soil |
| title_full | Ecological Characterization and Bio-Mitigation Potential of Heavy Metal Contamination in Metallurgically Affected Soil |
| title_fullStr | Ecological Characterization and Bio-Mitigation Potential of Heavy Metal Contamination in Metallurgically Affected Soil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ecological Characterization and Bio-Mitigation Potential of Heavy Metal Contamination in Metallurgically Affected Soil |
| title_short | Ecological Characterization and Bio-Mitigation Potential of Heavy Metal Contamination in Metallurgically Affected Soil |
| title_sort | ecological characterization and bio mitigation potential of heavy metal contamination in metallurgically affected soil |
| topic | heavy metal contamination soil ecological hazard health effect bio-mitigation |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/13/6312 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT varuzhanhovhannisyan ecologicalcharacterizationandbiomitigationpotentialofheavymetalcontaminationinmetallurgicallyaffectedsoil AT ashokvaseashta ecologicalcharacterizationandbiomitigationpotentialofheavymetalcontaminationinmetallurgicallyaffectedsoil AT lyudmilaavanesyan ecologicalcharacterizationandbiomitigationpotentialofheavymetalcontaminationinmetallurgicallyaffectedsoil AT ruzannasadoyan ecologicalcharacterizationandbiomitigationpotentialofheavymetalcontaminationinmetallurgicallyaffectedsoil AT armengasparyan ecologicalcharacterizationandbiomitigationpotentialofheavymetalcontaminationinmetallurgicallyaffectedsoil AT sirineshogheryan ecologicalcharacterizationandbiomitigationpotentialofheavymetalcontaminationinmetallurgicallyaffectedsoil AT lauraharutyunova ecologicalcharacterizationandbiomitigationpotentialofheavymetalcontaminationinmetallurgicallyaffectedsoil AT lyudmilamirumyan ecologicalcharacterizationandbiomitigationpotentialofheavymetalcontaminationinmetallurgicallyaffectedsoil AT gorgevorgyan ecologicalcharacterizationandbiomitigationpotentialofheavymetalcontaminationinmetallurgicallyaffectedsoil |