Identification of coal combustion impacts on soil contamination by risk elements needs empirical holistic approach: case study in the Most Basin, Czech Republic

Grygar, T. Matys; Adamec, S.; Tůmová, Š.; Burdová, H.; Kříženecká, S.; Bretschneiderová, D.; Lučić, Mavro; Pavlů, I. (2025) Identification of coal combustion impacts on soil contamination by risk elements needs empirical holistic approach: case study in the Most Basin, Czech Republic. Environmental Earth Sciences, 84 (16). ISSN 1866-6280

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Abstract

This work promotes an empirical holistic approach to the reliable identification of anthropogenic contributions to elevated concentrations of risk elements in soils. It is demonstrated through the evaluation of the impact of coal-fired power plants on soils in the Most Basin in the Czech Republic, Central Europe. The origin of the coal seam in the Most Basin is inherently associated with the presence of geochemically anomalous rocks, including those with ore veins at the basin edges, which complicates the identification of human impacts. This study is based on analyses of risk elements (As, Be, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sb, Zn) and lithogenic elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mn, Rb, Si, Sr, Ti, Zr) in approximately 1 m thick soil profiles, Bayes space methodology for analysis of their granulometric curves, analyses of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in topsoils, and empirical (verifiable and explainable) data mining. Risk element concentrations were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) and multilinear regression with Al, Fe, Mn, K, Rb, Si, Ti, and/or Zr in aim to correct the results for natural variability of soils. The results demonstrated that basin floor is covered by a mosaic of sediments with varying lithogenic origin that are not specified (or are incorrectly specified) in geological maps. The nonlinearity of interelement relationship and considerable site-specificity of soil composition precluded quantification of risk element concentrations, but empirical data mining made it possible to evaluate a power plant impact on soils. Geogenic anomalies were found to be a dominant factor in the elevated concentrations of As and Pb (from felsic effusive rocks and mineralization), Cu (from mafic rocks), Sb (from mineralization), and Be (from felsic effusive rocks) in the basin soils, which have incorrectly been attributed to coal combustion in the recent past. PAH concentrations are the most straightforward indicators of the impact of coal combustion, along with soil contamination from Cd and Zn. The contamination related to coal combustion does not represent real toxicological risks in agricultural soils. The methodology employed in this work could be used to revisit previous studies that underestimated the natural complexity of soil chemistry in coal basins and paradigmatically exaggerated the impacts of coal combustion on soil risk elements.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Soil; Risk elements; Geogenic anomalies; Coal combustion
Subjects:	NATURAL SCIENCES > Geology NATURAL SCIENCES > Interdisciplinary Natural Sciences
Divisions:	Division for Marine and Enviromental Research
Depositing User:	Lorena Palameta
Date Deposited:	04 Sep 2025 08:43
URI:	http://fulir.irb.hr/id/eprint/9969
DOI:	10.1007/s12665-025-12458-z

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