Agnieszka Galuszka
Jan Kochanowski University, Poland
Title: Identification and origin of geochemical anomalies of trace elements in soils
Biography
Biography: Agnieszka Galuszka
Abstract
Natural variability of trace element distribution in the environment and substantial input of these elements from anthropogenic sources cause a large heterogeneity of geochemical data sets even on local scales. This is clearly visible in different post-industrial areas where the abundances of elements in soils can range over several orders of magnitude within very short distances. The term “geochemical anomaly” refers to an element concentration which is not typical for samples collected in a given area. In environmental geochemistry, the anomalous concentrations of elements can be estimated by comparison of the element concentration in the sample with that in a reference material, such as the Post-Archean Standard Shale, the Earth’s crust (Clarke value) etc. This comparison can be used for calculation of many geochemical indices, for example Enrichment Factor (EF), Pollution Load Index (PLI), Geoaccumulation Index (GI). Geochemical anomalies can be separated from background values on the basis of statistical interpretation of results derived from environmental sample analyses. This study presents methodology of identification and interpretation of geochemical anomalies. Three datasets representing concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in contaminated surface soils affected by multiple pollution sources were analysed. The element concentration ranges were divided into background and anomalous populations with the use of the iterative 2σ technique. The results showed that separation of geochemical anomalies from background concentrations can be helpful in selection of sites for detailed study on the origin of geochemical enrichments.