Monitoring of arsenic, boron and mercury by lichen and soil analysis in the Mt. Amiata geothermal area (central Italy)
- Universita di Siena Via P.A. Mattioli (Italy)
Epiphytic lichens and top-soils from the Mt. Amiata geothermal field (central Italy) were analyzed for their As, B and Hg content. Three areas were selected: (1) Abbadia S. Salvatore, where a large Hg mine with smelting and roasting plant was located; (2) Piancastagnaio, where there are geothermal power plants; (3) a remote site far from mines and geothermal power plants. The results showed that the geothermal power plants do not represent a macroscopic source of arsenic and boron contamination in the area. As far as mercury is concerned, at the Hg mining area of Abbadia S. Salvatore concentrations were extremely high both in soil and epiphytic lichens, and the anomalous content in these organisms was due to the uptake of elemental mercury originating from soil degassing. At the geothermal area of Piancastagnaio, soil mercury was not different from that in the control area, but Hg in lichens was almost twice the control levels, suggesting that the gaseous emissions from the geothermal power plants are an important source of air contamination.
- OSTI ID:
- 602654
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-971048-; TRN: 98:001318-0020
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Geothermal Resources Council (GRC) annual meeting, San Francisco, CA (United States), 12 Oct 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Meeting the challenge of increased competition; PB: 665 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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