Projects / Programmes
Dynamics and matter flow of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in urban environment
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.06.08 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Geology |
Environmental geology |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| P420 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Petrology, mineralogy, geochemistry |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 1.05 |
Natural Sciences |
Earth and related Environmental sciences |
potentially toxic elements (PTE), properties of PTE-bearing particles, physico-chemical
changes, geogenic/anthropogenic processes, holistic approach
Researchers (9)
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0215 |
Geological Survey of Slovenia |
Ljubljana |
5051410000 |
0 |
Abstract
Cities have become dominant form of settlement since more than half of world's
population lives in them. There is a high concentration of anthropogenic activities in
cities that release potentially harmful elements (PTEs) into the environment, including
their solid forms, and thus contribute to urban environment pollution. PTEs in urban
environments result from simultaneous action of various natural processes and
anthropogenic activities and their combination. Consequently, urban environments differ considerably from natural ones by their geochemical characteristics. In certain
concentrations and forms, PTEs in the environment can pose a risk to human health,
therefore knowledge of their chemical forms, stability of solid forms and their behaviour in urban media, and bioaccessibility is important.
PTEs and their solid forms are present in urban environments practically in all
environmental media, such as soil, road dust, house and attic dust, dust on elevated flat surfaces, river sediments, water, and also solid airborne particles, which are in constant mutual interactions. In this way, pollutants constantly migrate from one medium to another, resulting in chemical and physical changes in both pollutants and environmental media. Consequently, associations of pollutants in different media are very diverse and complex, moreover the stability and bioaccessibility of their constituent elements may also change. Some environmental media represent a sink and a collector of atmospheric inorganic pollutants and dusts, and thus various PTEs, while on the other hand, particles can be resuspended back into the atmosphere. Such dynamics and continuity of interactions between environmental media require a holistic approach to geochemical research of urban environments. This means that simultaneous study of various materials is necessary in order to adequately define quality of urban environment or degree of pollution, differentiate between pollution sources and assess potential negative impacts on human health.
Although there are many studies related to urban geochemistry in global scientific
literature, they are mostly partial; they either address a limited set of pollutants or
environmental media, or address the state of environment at a specific time or place.
Only very few studies deal with the topic in "holistic" way, which means simultaneous
study of different media, their interactions and trends in space and time.
In the proposed project, urban areas and areas with past and present industrial activity
and also rural areas without known major pollution sources will be studied. Geochemical processes in urban environment will be comprehensively explored, with an emphasis on geochemistry of PTEs and their solid forms. Environmental media such as soil, sediments, various dusts, airborne particles and precipitation will be studied. Various chemical methods will be used to determine total PTE content and bioaccessible portion of PTEs and to estimate mobility of PTEs in the environment. Chemical analyses will be complemented with SEM/EDS and DIPA analyses, which will provide data on properties of PTE solid forms and their stability in the environment.
The project objectives are to define geochemical associations in studied urban environment, identify solid carriers of geochemical information and their properties as markers of PTE sources, assess stability of PTEs and their solid forms and their changes in different media of urban environment, and to design a conceptual model of flow of PTEs and their solid forms from sources, through transport routes to sinks in the environment.
Since such holistic research of urban environment has not yet been carried out in
Slovenia, the project results are expected to help understand the fate of PTEs and their
solid forms in urban environment and potential harm to organisms. Thus, the project will contribute to development of urban geochemistry and environmental mineralogy.
Significance for science
Since holistic approach has not yet been used in studies of urban environment in Slovenia and is also the exception rather than the rule elsewhere in the world, the data and findings obtained during the proposed project will contribute to understanding the
dynamics and flow of the PTEs and their solid forms in the urban environment, from their sources through transport routes to recipients and processes that affect their physicochemical properties from the time of their formation to deposition in the environment and also the potential harmfulness to living organisms. Knowledge of processes in the urban environment and the types and degrees of changes in physico-chemical properties of solid forms of PTEs will help in identification and interpretation of sources of solid pollutants and assessment of the contribution of individual sources based on characterisation of properties of individual particles. Based on its comprehensive approach to the study of PTEs and their solid forms in various environmental media, the project will contribute to the development of urban geochemistry and environmental mineralogy and the introduction of a new approach and methodology, based on a combination of different analytical methods, such as conventional multi-element chemical analysis, isotopic analysis, SEM/EDS, DIPA, leaching and bioaccessibility tests.
The results of the project will also contribute to solving geological problems and to
improvement of interpretations in other geological fields, since distinction between
geogenic and anthropogenic materials and processes that affect their stability in the
environment will be more reliable. Possible differences in flow of PTEs and their solid
forms and processes between the urban and rural environment will also be characterised. The common data set will serve for determination of geochemical background in various media and will assist other researchers in their work. In practice, the results of the project will be useful for understanding the environment in which we live and for planning measures to improve the state of urban environment, which will become more appropriate for living.
The project will also contribute to the development of new research personnel, as two
young researchers at the Geological Survey of Slovenia are involved in the project, whose topics of doctoral dissertations are complementary with the content of the project.
Significance for the country
Since holistic approach has not yet been used in studies of urban environment in Slovenia and is also the exception rather than the rule elsewhere in the world, the data and findings obtained during the proposed project will contribute to understanding the
dynamics and flow of the PTEs and their solid forms in the urban environment, from their sources through transport routes to recipients and processes that affect their physicochemical properties from the time of their formation to deposition in the environment and also the potential harmfulness to living organisms. Knowledge of processes in the urban environment and the types and degrees of changes in physico-chemical properties of solid forms of PTEs will help in identification and interpretation of sources of solid pollutants and assessment of the contribution of individual sources based on characterisation of properties of individual particles. Based on its comprehensive approach to the study of PTEs and their solid forms in various environmental media, the project will contribute to the development of urban geochemistry and environmental mineralogy and the introduction of a new approach and methodology, based on a combination of different analytical methods, such as conventional multi-element chemical analysis, isotopic analysis, SEM/EDS, DIPA, leaching and bioaccessibility tests.
The results of the project will also contribute to solving geological problems and to
improvement of interpretations in other geological fields, since distinction between
geogenic and anthropogenic materials and processes that affect their stability in the
environment will be more reliable. Possible differences in flow of PTEs and their solid
forms and processes between the urban and rural environment will also be characterised. The common data set will serve for determination of geochemical background in various media and will assist other researchers in their work. In practice, the results of the project will be useful for understanding the environment in which we live and for planning measures to improve the state of urban environment, which will become more appropriate for living.
The project will also contribute to the development of new research personnel, as two
young researchers at the Geological Survey of Slovenia are involved in the project, whose topics of doctoral dissertations are complementary with the content of the project.
Most important scientific results
Interim report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report
