Natural attenuation of arsenic in soils near a highly contaminated historical mine waste dump

Abstract

Hydrous ferric oxides in the Giftkies soil (Jáchymov) successfully sequester arsenic released from medieval mining activities. The slight variations in the dissolved As appeared to be a function of pH-dependent sorption.

A long-term (~6000 years) natural attenuation of released As from the unremitting waste seepage could be predicted.

Keywords

• Arsenic
• contaminated soil
• historical mine waste dump
• long-term attenuation