Study of airborne contamination of vegetation and soils by heavy metals from the Sudbury, Ontario, copper-nickel smelters

Conference · Mon Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1973 · Trace Subst. Environ. Health; (United States)

OSTI ID:5974239

Hutchinson, T C; Whitby, L M

The Sudbury basin is the source of more than 60% of the free world's nickel as well as being a major producer of copper, cobalt and iron. Dust and rainfall collections and analysis during 1970-1971 indicated that high levels of nickel and copper were still being released through the smelter stacks, the highest levels being deposited closest to the stacks. Monthly deposition rates of 122.6 kg/km/sup 2/ copper and 270.8 kg/km/sup 2/ nickel occurred at 1.7 km but deposition fell to only 2.1 and 8.1 kg/km/sup 2/ respectively at 20.4 km. Surface soils contained 2835 ppM of Ni and 1528 ppM of Cu at 1 km from the smallest smalter, compared with 306 ppM of Ni and 185 ppM of Cu at 20.4 km and 83 ppM Ni and 31 ppM Cu at 52.7 km. This suggests metal deposition has occurred to a distance in excess of 50 km from the stacks in any one direction. Soils were collected along transects out from a smelter and water extracts were obtained of these soils. These were used as (a) a liquid medium for bioassays of phytotoxicity and (b) for chemical analyses of water soluble metals. In laboratory bioassays root elongation of radish, cabbage, tomato and lettuce was used as an indication of the soil extract's toxic status. Severe root inhibition occurred in extracts obtained from soils collected close to the smelter. This inhibition decreased with distance from the smelter. Analyses of the roots showed very high levels of nickel and copper present in inhibited roots, there again being a metal concentration-distance effect. Analyses of the soil water extracts revealed up to 127 ppM Ni and 42 ppM Cu present in the most toxic soil extracts. In further bioassays using synthetic media, 1-3 ppM of either Ni or Cu were found to cause 50% reduction in root growth of the test species. The suggestion is clear that the soils of the Sudbury region contain such high levels of copper and nickel in an available form as to be inhibitory to the growth of many species.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Toronto, Ontario
• OSTI ID: 5974239
• Report Number(s): CONF-730613-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Trace Subst. Environ. Health; (United States) Journal Volume: 7
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
510200 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560303 -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ABSORPTION
AIR POLLUTION
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS
CANADA
CHALCOGENIDES
CONTAMINATION
COPPER
DEPOSITION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
GROWTH
INHIBITION
LONG-RANGE TRANSPORT
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
NICKEL
NORTH AMERICA
ONTARIO
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANT GROWTH
POLLUTION
PRECIPITATION SCAVENGING
QUANTITY RATIO
ROOT ABSORPTION
SEPARATION PROCESSES
SMELTERS
SOILS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UPTAKE
WASHOUT