Projects / Programmes
Source identification of solid pollutants in the environment on the basis of mineralogical, morphological and geochemical properties of particles
| 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 |
solid pollutants, metals, physico-chemical properties, solid pollutant sources, source contributions, soil, sediment, aerosols, precipitation, SEM/EDS
Researchers (1)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
29608 |
PhD Miloš Miler |
Geology |
Head |
2016 - 2017 |
190 |
Organisations (1)
| no. |
Code |
Research organisation |
City |
Registration number |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
0215 |
Geological Survey of Slovenia |
Ljubljana |
5051410000 |
11,243 |
Abstract
The environment in which we live is increasingly burdened with various potentially harmful solid pollutants, whose presence in environment diminishes quality of human life. Presence of solid inorganic pollutants in environment is a consequence of action of various natural factors, such as weathering of bedrock and soil, resuspension and transport of desert dust, volcanic emissions, natural fires etc., and historical and current human activities, such as mining, smelting and recycling of mineral and other raw materials in industry, combustion of fuels in industrial and small furnaces and internal combustion engines, dust from traffic, salting of roads etc. The action of natural and anthropogenic sources is mostly simultaneous or even combined. Consequently, associations of inorganic solid pollutants in environmental media can be very diverse and complex, as they represent a mixture of natural and anthropogenic solid pollutants. In addition to knowledge of average bulk chemical composition of polluted media, which is sufficient for recognition of presence and extent of pollution, also detailed knowledge of chemical, mineralogical and morphological properties of individual solid pollutants, which are dependent on processes involved in their formation and chemical composition of source material and represent “fingerprints” or indicators for identification of their sources and transportation routes. Knowledge of sources, their contributions and transportation routes is essential for emission control of solid pollutants. As solid pollutants of anthropogenic origin represent variable part of all pollutants in the environment, their amount can be effectively controlled and decreased by targeted control of emissions at individual sources that contribute most to the environmental pollution.
Urban-industrial areas with various sources of solid pollutants will be investigated in the proposed project where previous investigations showed significant pollution with anthropogenic solid pollutants and metals, but contribution of individual sources was not determined. Various environmental media, such as soil, stream and road sediments, air and precipitation which are directly or indirectly related to ecosystems and humans, will be sampled and studied. For comparison, samples of source materials from potential sources will also be treated.
A scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive spectrometer (SEM/EDS) will be used In the research. The main contribution of this method are information on chemical and mineral composition and morphology of solid particles, which are the basis for source apportionment of potentially hazardous solid pollutants in the environment, and which cannot be obtained by conventional geochemical analytical methods as information about morphology and mineralogy of individual solid particles are lost when using these methods. In addition to characterisation of solid particles with SEM/EDS, conventional multi-element chemical analysis, analysis of mineral composition with powder X-ray diffraction and measurements of airborne particle concentrations with a portable aerosolspectrometer will also be carried out.
The objectives of this project are to identify associations of inorganic solid pollutants in various environmental media, with an emphasis on metal-bearing particles, to identify their chemical, mineralogical and morphological properties, to assess their sources and contributions of these sources to contents of solid pollutants in the environment and thus demonstrate usefulness of solid pollutant properties as source indicators.
The findings of the proposed project will contribute to development of new methodologies that are based on characterisation of individual particles, for accurate identification of solid pollutant sources and assessment of their contribution. This will enable execution of effective measures for containment of solid pollutant emissions and contribute to a better state of the envir
Significance for science
The main contribution of this project to development of science is the introduction of new methodology in Slovenian and international science. This new methodology deals primarily with the use and modification of analytical methods for identification and characterisation of properties of individual micron-sized solid particles in combination with other analytical techniques (chemical analysis, stable isotope analysis). The most important method is SEM/EDS, of which the main contribution is information on morphology, mineral and chemical composition of individual solid particles. The other method is differential individual particle analysis (DIPA), which is based on observation of changes in morphology and chemical composition of individual particles before and after exposure to certain reagents, and provides information on stability of solid pollutants under various environmental conditions and insight into their fate. According to available information, this kind of methodology and approach has not yet been used to a greater extent in previous source apportionment studies in Slovenia. Thus, a major contribution of introduction of this method is more accurate source identification of solid pollutants and more reliable assessment of the contribution of each source based on characterisation of properties of individual particles. The successful implementation of the methodology is reflected in cooperation with researchers from domestic and foreign scientific and research institutions and faculties (Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Biotechnical Faculty, Karst Research Institute, Technical University Braunschweig, Croatian Geological Survey), resulting in joint publications of scientific contributions in recognized international scientific journals and international conferences. The visibility of project results is also proven by review invitations and accomplished reviews of scientific papers in the field of environmental geochemistry for the renowned international SCI journals (Chemosphere, Journal of Geochemical Research). The results of the project and introduction of new methodology are and will continue to contribute to solving geological problems and to improvement of their interpretations in geological fields, such as lithogeochemistry, karstology, mineralogy and palaeoenvironment, since the distinction between geogenically and anthropogenically conditioned materials and influences will be more reliable.
Significance for the country
Currently, the data available in Slovenia do not enable to produce reliable estimates, plans and programs for reduction of pollution with solid particles. The results of the project will enable a more accurate identification of pollutant sources and their contribution to environmental pollution, based on properties of individual solid pollutants and their changes and transformations in the environment. A more accurate identification of solid pollutant sources and more reliable assessment of their contribution to environmental pollution will indirectly enable commercial companies and industry to facilitate planning and improvement of their production and planning of effective measures for targeted control of their emissions into the environment. Results of the project will have direct and indirect impact on improving the state of the environment and human health and quality of life in urban-industrial areas. Indirectly, the results and findings of the project are reflected in education within university study programs. The project program included undergraduate students who participated in laboratory sample preparation in the context of professional student internships. In this way, students have gained valuable practical experience, which will be helpful in their further studies and work. In the frame of the research carried out in the project, two graduate theses in the fields of environmental geochemistry and mineralogy were made, in which the methodology for identification of particles and sources, based on their properties by using SEM/EDS, was used. The topic and the current results of the post-doctoral project were the basis for application of two doctoral dissertation themes of young researchers at the Geological Survey of Slovenia in the field of Geology (doctoral study at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, UL (geochemistry of solid inorganic particles in the urban environment), and in the field of Environmental Sciences as part of the studies at the Graduate School, UNG (household and road dust as an indicator of airborne particulate matter composition). The work programs of doctoral theses include the methodology and work principle developed during the project. During project implementation, cooperation with researchers from other Slovenian scientific research institutions and faculties was established (Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Biotechnical Faculty, Karst Research Institute, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Center for Atmospheric Research, Slovenian Environment Agency), which resulted in or will result in joint scientific publications and project proposals, which will be based on the developed methodology. The methodology developed during the implementation of the project has already been successfully used in the economy for the purpose of determining sources of defects on synthetic fibers from textile industry. The findings contributed to the improvement of synthetic fiber production process.
Most important scientific results
Interim report,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report,
final report
