Iveta NAGYOVÁ¹, Zuzana MELICHOVÁ¹, Terézia KOMADELOVÁ¹, Peter BOHÁČ¹ & Peter ANDRÁŠ^1,2
1Faculty of Natural Sciences, Matej Bel University, Tajovského 40, 974 01 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia;
e-mail: Iveta.Nagyova@umb.sk
²Geological Institute of Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ďumbierska 1, 974 11 Banská Bystrica, Slovakia;
e-mail: andras@savbb.sk

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS BY OLD COPPER MINING ACTIVITIES - A CASE STUDY AT ŠPANIA DOLINA STAROHORSKÉ MTS., SLOVAKIA

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This study is focused on environmental assessment of impacts by old copper mining activities at Špania Dolina in Central Slovakia. Špania Dolina was in 15^th and 17^th centuries world-famous for intense mining activity, especially for mining and processing of copper. The environmental assessment was done on the base of analysis of selected metal elements in the soil, surface and groundwater. The sampling sites were selected on the basis of their relative position to the Maximilian dump-field in order to assess its potential impact on environmental contamination. Soil samples and water samples were collected quarterly in course of the year 2011. The samples were analyzed for metals by the atomic absorption spectrometry method with electrothermal atomization (As, Sb, Ni, Pb, Cd, Co, Ag, Se, Cr) and flame atomization (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn). The results of the soil samples analyses from the Maximilian dump-field showed excessive concentrations of Cu (516.4 – 3602.6 mg·kg^-1), Pb (30.0 – 454.9 mg·kg^-1), Cd (0.54 – 4.8 mg·kg^-1) and Fe (2168.3 – 3995.1 mg·kg^-1). The results of the water samples analyses showed excessive concentrations of Cu (385.2 – 429.1 9g·dm^-3), As (33.2 – 77.0 9g·dm^-3), and Sb (111.3 – 275.0 9g·dm^-3) in surface waters and Cu (max. 753.1 9g·dm^-3), As (2.5 – 75.0 9g·dm^-3), and Sb (3.2 – 291.1 9g·dm^-3) in groundwater. Speciation of As in water samples was performed by HPLC-ICP-MS system. The presence of lesstoxic form As(V) was found. Sorbent Bayoxide E33 was studied to eliminate As from drinking and natural waters. Sorption efficiency 95-100% was achieved. Maximum sorption capacity of 5.05 mg of As(V)/g dry sorbent wasfound experimental.