Fľaková R., Ženišová Z., Ondrejková I., Krčmář D. & Galo I., 2011: Water contamination by antimony and arsenic at the Čučma abandoned deposit (Slovenské rudohorie Mts.). Acta Geologica Slovaca, 3, 1, 57–74. (in Slovak with English summary)

Kontaminácia vôd antimónom a arzénom na opustenom ložisku Čučma (Slovenské rudohorie)

Water contamination by antimony and arsenic at the Čučma abandoned deposit (Slovenské rudohorie Mts.)

Renáta Fľaková, Zlatica Ženišová, Ivana Ondrejková, David Krčmář & Ivan Galo

Katedra hydrogeológie, Prírodovedecká fakulta, Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave, Mlynská dolina, 842 15 Bratislava; rflakova@fns.uniba.sk

Abstract

In surface water and groundwater there could be the trace amounts of antimony and arsenic. There are very strict limits for these toxic elements in drinking water (5 µg.l^-1 for antimony and 10 µg.l^-1 for arsenic). The results of study of arsenic and antimony contamination at the Čučma abandoned deposit are introduced in the article. This mining area belongs to the important ore deposits in the south part of Slovenské rudohorie Mts. The mine water from adits and tailing ponds represent the most important sources of contamination at this area. Arsenic and antimony are the worst trace elements in groundwater and surface water. The maximum value of antimony (7 130 µg.l^-1) was detected in mine water from the Jozef mine adit. The highest content of arsenic (1 350 µg.l^-1) and also high concentrations of Fe and Mn were measured in mining water from the Gabriela mine adit. High concentration of antimony (86 µg.l^-1) was registered in house wells, as well. Most of the local inhabitants use the contaminated water for drinking purposes. Soil and stream sediments are also contaminated by As, Sb, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn and Al in this area.

Key words: Čučma abandoned deposit, antimony, arsenic, water contamination, drinking water

Manuscript received: 2010-12-21

Revised version accepted: 2011-05-05