The determination of As, Ag and Pb levels in soil and plants around Gümüşköy (Kütahya) Ag deposit and their effects on the biological environment

The determination of As, Ag and Pb levels in soil and plants around Gümüşköy (Kütahya) Ag deposit and their probable effects on the environmentGümüşköy Ag, As ve Pb ore deposit is located to about 25 km. west of Kütahya. In this region, the units cropping out in the study area are composed of metamorphic, volcanic and sedimentary rocks and their ages range from Upper Paleozoic to Quaternary. Gumusköy Ag deposit is the one of the biggest silver deposits in Turkey, occurred in Tavşanlı volcanic- Miocene in age and their contacts between Tavşanlı volcanic and Şahin Formation- Permo-Carboniferious in age. Gümüşköy deposit was found among Gümüşköy, Şahin, Gözeçukuru, Sığıreğreği and Dulkadir villages. Primary ore minerals are in order; pyrite, galena, sphalerite, realgar, antimuanite, orpiment, barite, Fe and Mn oxides, argentite, freibergite and pyrargyrite. The main gangue minerals are quartz, calcedony, chert, dolomite and calcite,This study investigated silver (Ag),arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) uptake and transport from the soil to different plant parts by documenting the distribution and accumulations of Ag, As and Pb in the roots and shoots of 12 plant species [Alyssum saxatile (AL), Anchusa arvensis (AN), Centaurea cyanus (CE), Carduus nutans (CR), Cynoglossum officinale (CY), Glaucium flavum (GL), Isatis sp. (IS), Onosma sp. (ON), Phlomis sp. (PH), Silene compacta (SL), Tripleurospermum maritimum (TR), and Verbascum Thapsus (VR)]. All of these plants were growing naturally in surface soils of the Gumuskoy Ag-Pb mining area (Kutahya, Turkey), a region with a mild continental climate. Plant samples and their associated soils were collected and analyzed for Ag, As and Pb contents by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Mean values in the soils, roots, and shoots of all plants were 37780, 10577 and 11240 ppb for Ag; 4771.2, 2319.9 and 1340.4 ppm for As; 1023, 1378 and 4320 ppm for Pb; respectively. The mean enrichment factors for root (ECR) and shoot (ECS) of these plants were 0.54 and 0.85 for Ag; 0.48 and 0.46 for As; 0.45 and 0.30 for Pb respectively. The plants in the study area were separated into different groups based on ECR and ECS values. The results showed that VR, SL and GL plants for Ag; AN, PH, VR and GL plants for As; CR, AN, AL and PH for Pb were very good bioaccumulator/ hyperaccumulator because their ECRs and ECSs are higher than 1 or close to 1. Therefore, these plants may be particularly useful in phytoremediation and they can also be used to clean or rehabilitate soils and areas contaminated with Ag, As and Pb. The TLF values indicated that the ability to transfer Ag, As and Pb from the roots to the shoot. According to the results of TLF values; that transfer was more efficient in CR, VR, SL, ON, CE and PH plants for Ag; CR, ON, CE, PH and VR plants for As; ON, CE, CY, SL and TR for Pb.Key Words Ag, As ve Pb Uptake, Terrestrial Plants, Enrichment Coefficient, Translocation Factor, Phytoremediation, Gümüşköy Mining Area