Projects / Programmes
OKOLJSKA GEOKEMIJA KOVIN NA ONESNAžENIH OBMOčJIH (Slovene)
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 1.06.04 |
Natural sciences and mathematics |
Geology |
Geochemistry |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 1.05 |
Natural Sciences |
Earth and related Environmental sciences |
Researchers (9)
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0215 |
Geological Survey of Slovenia |
Ljubljana |
5051410000 |
11,243 |
Significance for science
The project complied with the studies of natural and anthropogenic processes in the Earth’s surface. It contributed to the basic knowledge of the geological environment, and at the same time solved methodological problems of investigations and practical work in the field of environmental protection. Because of its exceptionally diverse geological composition, industrial development and urbanization, Slovenia can, despite its small surface, provide good possibilities of acquiring scientific knowledge important also for many other countries.
The estimation of the environmental impact of historical ore processing locations in Idrija area was an important task by itself and the accomplished project study is important also because it offered a unique possibility to investigate the evolution of Hg pollution in soils contaminated about 400 years ago. This includes the transformation of the original Hg species (cinnabar) in soil under influence of weathering and Hg(0) emitted or spilled during roasting and deposited to the soils via atmospheric deposition. This is not only interesting from a basic research point of view but also essential for the understanding of the more recent intense and widespread contamination of soils in the wider Idrija area and at other comparable sites worldwide. The research outcomes are an important contribution to the assessment of the fate of Hg in soils and future environmental risks for the Idrija area and also for the Gulf of Trieste, which will finally receive most of the Hg leached from the contaminated soils in the Idrija area.
The results of the research project yield new scientific knowledge on geochemical processes in heavily contaminated environments. Environmental pollution, pre-civilization and anthropogenic environmental changes were determined in studied areas and new methodology in the environmental research was introduced. Overall, the outcomes of the project provided interesting scientific information that were published in relevant scientific magazines and will help mitigate risks associated with metals in the environment and to respond to the basic questions of the source and the level of a metal available to enter the food chain.
Within the project, special attention was given to the further development of advanced methods of data processing and the use of methods of linear and nonlinear mathematical modelling: multivariate statistical methods, methods of universal and segmental kriging, multiple polynomial regression, artificial neural network - multi-layer perceptron as well as remote sensing methods. In particular, the preliminary results of artificial neural network - multilayer are very promising. This prediction modelling method can be used in spatial elemental arrangement depending on the various spatial and climatic factors that affect the changes above. We successfully integrate the remote sensing methods.
The data on chemical load and environmental impacts gained through the project contributed to the understanding of the impacts of metal mines and wastes to the environment, to medical knowledge, use of earth resources, protection from natural disasters, spatial planning and consequently Slovenian national development. The results of the research project will be used for sustainable development planning, especially for the determination of impacts on health of people and animals, for agriculture, forestry and spatial planning and for water resource management.
Significance for the country
One of important outcomes of the project is an introduction of new analytical methods scanning electron microscopy with x-ray microanalysis (SEM/EDS) into environmental researches of metal-polluted environment. Scanning electron microscopy with x-ray microanalysis (SEM/EDS) opened a new field of research in geochemistry and environmental geology in Slovenia, since no researches related to application of SEM/EDS in environmental researches of metal pollution had been reported before our project started in 2009. Main contribution of the method is characterization of heavy metal-bearing phases that represent primary potential pollutants in environmental media, according to their sources. Source apportionment is very important for localization of pollution sources and ascertainment of the degree of negative impacts, arising from individual heavy metal sources, natural and anthropogenic. Since conventional geochemical analyses, using sequential extraction preparation methods, provide no information on mineralogy of metal-bearing phases, SEM/EDS is very important for the assessment of bioavailability of heavy metals from heavy metal-bearing phases, according to chemical and physical properties of mineral species of these phases.
Within the project framework we expand and intensified scientific and technological cooperation, in particular with institutions in W. Balkan. In the last decade, Geological Survey of Slovenia (GeoZS) has been successfully involved in many geochemical investigations in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Croatia, Kosovo and Serbia. Our main activities are conducted to the initialization of environmental geochemical studies in W. Balkan and knowledge transfer.
Results of the project will definitely contribute to the country promotion, access to foreign knowledge, as well as education and training of our stuff. Project results have significant contribution to assess potential environmental vulnerabilities and risk assessments of territories important for the entire region. The results of research in areas of former mining and smelting in Slovenia and wider region will be one of the guiding principles in future remediation processes.
Our project group included also two post-graduate students whose doctoral theses were thematically related to our research program. After finishing their doctoral thesis they joined geological Survey of Slovenia as researchers. Also cooperation with EU and SE Balkan countries involves beside scientific collaboration and technical support, also help in the education of students.
Most important scientific results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Annual report
2009,
2010,
2011,
final report,
complete report on dLib.si
