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Temporal investigation of radionuclides and heavy metals in a coastal mining area at Ierissos Gulf, Greece

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Abstract

Vertical variations of radionuclides, trace metals, and major elements were determined in two sediment cores, which were collected in the marine environment of Ierissos Gulf near Stratoni’s mining area. The enrichment factors (EFs) were also estimated and provided moderately severe to extremely severe enrichment for most trace elements and Mn, describing the anthropogenic influence in the gulf during the previous century. According to the applied dating models based on 210Pb and 137Cs, the effect in the marine sediment due to the exploitation of pyrite for the production of sulfuric acid during 1912–1920 was observed. Additionally, the decrease of mining activity during 1935–1945 due to the Second World War and the type of ore exploitation, the alteration of the exploited ores, and the construction and operation of Olympiada’s floatation plant during 1950–1970 were identified. The end of tailing discharging into the marine environment during 1980–2010 was also noted.

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Acknowledgments

Mrs. F.K. Pappa would like to acknowledge A.G. Leventis Foundation for the financial support of her PhD thesis, as well as Mr. Costas Papathanasiou for the fruitful discussions regarding the interpretation of the metal and metal flux profiles in the historical reconstruction section. Mrs. F.K. Pappa would also like to thank Mr. K. Sarantakos for the discussions regarding the classification of the metal enrichment into the sediment. The crew of the R/V AEGEAO is also acknowledged for providing samples from the offshore part of Ierissos Gulf.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Oceanography, Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, 46.7 km Athens-Sounio Ave, 19013, Anavyssos, Greece

    Filothei K. Pappa, Christos Tsabaris, Dionisis L. Patiris, Georgios Eleftheriou & Effrosini G. Androulakaki

  2. Department of Physics, National Technical University of Athens, 15780, Zografou, Greece

    Filothei K. Pappa, Michael Kokkoris & Roza Vlastou

  3. Nuclear Physics and Elementary Particle Physics Division Department of Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Alexandra Ioannidou

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  1. Filothei K. Pappa
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Pappa, F.K., Tsabaris, C., Patiris, D.L. et al. Temporal investigation of radionuclides and heavy metals in a coastal mining area at Ierissos Gulf, Greece. Environ Sci Pollut Res 26, 27457–27469 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-05921-5

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