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- Title
Stratigraphic Distribution of Lignite-Derived Atmospheric Deposits in Forest Soils of the Upper Lusatian Region, East Germany.
- Authors
Klose, Susanne; Tölle, Rainer; Bäucker, Ernst; Makeschin, Franz
- Abstract
Atmospheric fly ash emissions from lignite-fired power plants in the Upper Lusatian and Turówan mining districts strongly affected large forest areas along the German-Polish border. A field study was conducted in old spruce stands (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) to assess the stratigraphic distribution of fly ash in the forest floor and mineral topsoil in the St. Marienthal forest area in the eastern part of Saxony, Germany. This forest area is subjected to long-term atmospheric depositions by two German and one Polish power plants since the early 1900s. The three study sites are located along a fly ash deposition gradient of 3, 6 and 15 km from the power plant in Turów (Sites Ia, II and III, respectively). An additional site (Site Ib) at a distance of 3 km from Turów was chosen to study the influence of vegetation type on fly ash deposition intensity in forest soils. Samples of the humic layer (Oi (L), Oe (F) and Oa (H) horizons) and mineral soil (0–10 cm) were taken in Spring and Fall 1999 and analysed for their ferromagnetic susceptibility and total ash content. Particle size distribution, magnetic susceptibility of individual size fractions, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray microanalysis (EDX) were performed on selected samples to evaluate the origin of mineral particles found in the forest floor. High magnetic susceptibility of the Oa and Oe horizons is a result of the long-term accumulation of lignite-derived atmospheric deposits in the forest floors of the studied area. Pure conifer stands (year-round filtration of airborne pollutants) resulted in higher inputs of ferromagnetic fly ash particles in forest soils. Unusually high total ash contents for humic horizons (up to 77%) were determined in the Oa and Oe horizons at Sites Ia and IIb, indicating the need for a new classification systems for the organic layer in forest soils near coal-fired power plants. SEM revealed 4 typical phases of persistent fly ash deposits formed by combustion of Lusatian lignite: (1) iron-containing `stable glasses', (2) aluminium-iron-silicate-minerals, (3) slag fragments and (4) lignite-derived fossil carbon. Particle size analysis, magnetic susceptibility measurements and SEM-EDX techniques indicated that a great portion of the mineral particles found in the humic horizons of forests soils are from atmospheric sources. Fly ash accumulation consisting of ferromagnetic minerals contributes mainly to the 125–63 and <63 μm fractions in soils. EDX analysis revealed that atmospheric input of lignite-derived fly ash increases the contents of the following ecological relevant elements in soils: carbon, iron, aluminium, calcium, potassium, sulphur, titanium and sodium.
- Subjects
AIR pollution; LIGNITE; ATMOSPHERIC deposition; FOREST soils; ECONOMIC geology; POWER plants
- Publication
Water, Air & Soil Pollution, 2003, Vol 142, Issue 1-4, p3
- ISSN
0049-6979
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1023/A:1022075130048