URBAN GEOCHEMICAL STUDIES IN EUROPE


A. Demetriades
M. Birke
J. Locutura
A.B. Bel-lan
M. Duris
EuroGeoSurveys Geochemistry Expert Group EuroGeoSurveys Geochemistry Expert Group
Résumé

Urban soil is generally contaminated to a variable degree depending on its proximity to contamination sources. Traffic is one of the main sources of urban contamination; lead (Pb) from the use of leaded petrol, zinc (Zn) and cadmium (Cd) from tyre wear, antimony (Sb) from break pads, and the platinum group Nelements (PGEs) from the wear of catalytic converters, are some typical elements that often reach high concentrations in the urban environment. Lead was also a key ingredient in white paint, and in towns with a high proportion of white wooden houses very high concentrations were found in soil. Crematoria can or have emitted mercury (Hg). Coal and heavy oil fired municipal power and heating stations emit sulphur (S), silver (Ag), vanadium (V), bromine (Br) and barium (Ba). The use of impregnated wood may have resulted in high concentrations of arsenic (As), especially in kindergartens (nursery schools) and playgrounds. Building materials (plaster and paint) may also contain high concentrations of organic contaminants, especially polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which again end up in urban soil. Coal and wood burning, the use of diesel fuel, and the production of coke, all lead to the emission of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). There exist countless other sources of local contamination in towns, and there is thus every reason to be concerned about the quality of the urban environment, and the suitability of soil for sensitive land uses, such as schools, playgrounds, parks and vegetable gardens. Contaminated urban soil may contaminate indoor dust and, therefore, to an increased human exposure to toxic chemicals. Consequently, the distribution of toxic contaminants in urban soil needs to be documented and known by city administration to avoid costly mistakes in land use planning, and further spreading of highly contaminated materials. The EuroGeoSurveys ‘Geochemistry’ Expert Group during the compilation of a proposal to the Directors for a European wide urban geochemistry project, using a harmonised sampling and analytical methodology, it discovered that many urban geochemical studies have been performed in Europe by National Geological Surveys, which are not known to the wider geoscientific community. Since, the results of these studies are directly related to our quality of life, the EuroGeoSurveys ‘Geo-chemistry’ Expert Group decided to publish at least one case study from each country in a book,which will be available in the second half of 2010. A concise description of some of these studies will be given in this paper.

Article Details
  • Rubrique
  • Geochemistry and Ore Deposit Geology
Téléchargements
Les données relatives au téléchargement ne sont pas encore disponibles.
Références
Birke, M. & Rauch, U., 1997. Geochemical investigations in the Berlin metropolitan area. Zeitschrift für
Angewandte Geologie 43(1), 58-65.
Birke, M. & Rauch, U., 2000. Urban geochemistry: investigations in the Berlin metropolitan area. Environmental
Geochemistry and Health 22, 233-248.
Birke, M., Rauch, U. & Raschka, H., 2000. Geochemical investigations in urban areas: megacities, mining
districts, waste disposals and industrial zones. Report (0120667), Federal Institute for Geosciences
and Natural Resources, Berlin, 66 pp.
Demetriades, A. (Editor), 1999a. Geochemical atlas of the Lavrion urban area for environmental protection
and planning; Volume 1, Explanatory text. Project “Soil rehabilitation in the Municipality of
Lavrion”, EU LIFE programme Contract No.: 93/GR/A14/GR/4576. Institute of Geology and Mineral
Exploration, Athens, Hellas, Open File Report Ε8272, 365 pp.
Demetriades, A. (Editor), 1999b. Geochemical atlas of the Lavrion urban area for environmental protection
and planning; Volume 1A, Tables and figures. Project “Soil rehabilitation in the Municipality
of Lavrion”, EU LIFE programme Contract No.: 93/GR/A14/GR/4576. Institute of Geology and Mineral
Exploration, Athens, Hellas, Open File Report Ε8272, 210 pp.
Demetriades, A. (Editor), 1999c. Geochemical atlas of the Lavrion urban area for environmental protection
and planning; Volume 1B, Appendix reports. Project “Soil rehabilitation in the Municipality
of Lavrion”, EU LIFE programme Contract No.: 93/GR/A14/GR/4576. Institute of Geology and Mineral
Exploration, Athens, Hellas, Open File Report Ε8272, 176 pp.
Demetriades, A. (Editor), 1999d. Geochemical atlas of the Lavrion urban area for environmental protection
and planning; Volume 2, Geochemical Atlas. Project “Soil rehabilitation in the Municipality
of Lavrion”, EU LIFE programme Contract No.: 93/GR/A14/GR/4576. Institute of Geology and Mineral
Exploration, Athens, Hellas, Open File Report Ε8272, 222 pp.
Demetriades, A. (Editor), 1999e. Environmental management plan for the rehabilitation of soil in the
Lavrion urban area; Volume 4. Project “Soil rehabilitation in the Municipality of Lavrion”, EU LIFE
programme Contract No.: 93/GR/A14/GR/4576. Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration,
Athens, Hellas, Open File Report Ε8272, 155 pp.
Demetriades, A., 2010. The Lavrion urban geochemical study. In: C.C. Johnson, A. Demetriades, R.T. Ottesen
& J. Locutura (Editors), Mapping the urban chemical environment. Wiley, London (in preparation).
XLIII, No 5 – 2348
Demetriades, A., Stavrakis, P. & Vergou-Vichou, K., 1997. Exploration geochemistry in environmental impact
assessment: examples from Greece. In: P.G. Marinos, G.C. Koukis, G.C. Tsiambaos & G.C. Stournaras (Editors),
Engineering Geology and the Environment. Balkema, Rotterdam, Volume 2, 1757-1762.
Demetriades, A., Vergou, K. & Vlachoyiannis, N., 2008. The contamination of Lavreotiki peninsula and
the urban environment of Lavrion from the mining-metallurgical wastes and the effects on the health
of the local population. Proceedings of the 9th Scientific Meeting of S.E. Attiki, Lavrion Attiki, 13-16
April 2000. Society of Studies of South-east Attiki, Kalivia Thorikon, Hellas, 573-624 (text in Hellene).
De Vos W., Tarvainen T. (Chief Editors), Salminen R., Reeder S., De Vivo B., Demetriades A., Pirc S.,
Batista M.J., Marsina K., Ottesen R.T., O’Connor P.J., Bidovec M., Lima A., Siewers U., Smith B.,
Taylor H., Shaw R., Salpeteur I., Gregorauskiene V., Halamic J., Slaninka I., Lax K., Gravesen P.,
Birke M., Breward N., Ander E.L., Jordan G., Duris M., Klein P., Locutura J., Bel-lan A., Pasieczna
A., Lis J., Mazreku A., Gilucis A., Heitzmann P., Klaver G. and Petersell V. 2006. Geochemical Atlas
of Europe. Part 2 - Interpretation of Geochemical Maps, Additional Tables, Figures, Maps, and Related
Publications. Geological Survey of Finland, Espoo, 692 pp. Available online at:
http://www.gtk.fi/publ/foregsatlas (last accessed on 17/1/2010).
Duris, M., 1999. Geochemical and ecological survey of the Prague agglomeration. In: D.A. Lovejoy (Editor),
Heavy metals in the environment: An integrated approach conference presentations from the 1st
international conference “metals in the environment”. Institute of Geology, Vilna, Lithuania, 134-136.
EGS Geochemistry, 2008 (EuroGeoSurveys Geochemistry Working Group). EuroGeoSurveys Geochemical
mapping of agricultural and grazing land soil of Europe (GEMAS) - Field manual. Geological
Survey of Norway, Trondheim, NGU Report 2008.038, 46 pp. Available online at:
Johnson, C.C., Demetriades, A., Ottesen, R.T. & Locutura, J., 2010. Mapping the urban chemical environment.
Wiley, London (in preparation).
N.T.U.A., 1999. Environmental characterisation of Lavrion site – Development of remediation techniques.
Volume 3, In: Soil Rehabilitation in the Municipality of Lavrion. Project “Soil rehabilitation
in the Municipality of Lavrion”, EU LIFE programme Contract No.: 93/GR/A14/GR/4576. National
Technical University of Athens, Hellas, 175 pp.
Reimann, C., Demetriades, A. Eggen, O.A., Filzmoser, P. & the EuroGeoSurveys Geochemistry Expert
Group, 2009. The EuroGeoSurveys geochemical mapping of agricultural and grazing land soils project
(GEMAS) - Evaluation of quality control results of aqua regia extraction analysis. Geological
Survey of Norway, Trondheim, NGU Report 2009.049, 94 pp. Available online at:
Salminen R. (Chief Editor), Batista M.J., Bidovec M., Demetriades A., De Vivo B., De Vos W., Duris M.,
Gilucis A., Gregorauskiene V., Halamic J., Heitzmann P., Lima A., Jordan G., Klaver G., Klein P., Lis
J., Locutura J., Marsina K., Mazreku A., O’Connor P.J., Olsson S.Å., Ottesen R.T., Petersell V., Plant
J.A., Reeder S., Salpeteur I., Sandström H., Siewers U., Steenfelt A. and Tarvainen T. 2005. FOREGS
Geochemical Atlas of Europe, Part 1: Background Information, Methodology and Maps. Geological
Survey of Finland, Espoo, 526 pp. Available online at: http://www.gtk.fi/publ/foregsatlas (last accessed
on 17/1/2010).
Stavrakis, P., Vergou-Vichou, K., Fosse, G., Makropoulos, V., Demetriades, A. & Vlachoyiannis, N.,
A multidisciplinary study on the effects of environmental contamination on the human population
of the Lavrion urban area, Hellas. In: S.P. Varnavas (Editor), Environmental Contamination. 6th
International Conference, Delphi, Greece, CEP Consultants, Edinburgh, 20-22.
Zimova, M., Duris, M., Spevackova, V., Melichercik, J., Lepsi, P., Tesarova, B., Knotek, P., Kubinova,
R. & Ronen, Y., 2001. Health risk of urban soils contaminated by heavy metals. International Journal
of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health, 14, 231-234.
Articles les plus lus par le même auteur ou la même autrice