POTENTIAL TOXIC ELEMENTS (PTES) IN GROUND AND SPRING WATERS, SOILS AND SEDIMENTS: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDY IN ANTHEMOUNTAS BASIN, N. GREECE

Abstract

Ground and spring waters, soils and sediments of Anthemountas basin in Northern G reece were analyzed for Potential Toxic Elements (PTEs). In total, twenty three soil and sediment samples, three groundwater (boreholes) and two spring water samples, were analyzed. Contents of Ni in soils and sediments can be as high as 2169 mg/kg. The high correlation coefficient of Ni and Cr, indicates the geogenic origin of Ni, which originates from ophiolitic rocks. Arsenic concentration ranges from 3 to 110 mg/kg in soils and sediments, with the highest contents observed in travertine. The spring waters are characterized by elevated concentrations of As (up to 235 μg/L), N a, K, Fe and Zn, indicating that hydrothermal fluids are responsible for feldspar alte ration of the Monopigado granodiorite. On the contrary, in groundwaters, As conten ts are low (up to 18 μg/L). Electrical resistivity tomographies performed around the groundwater boreholes, revealed the presence of normal faults, locally allowing the mixing of geothermal fluids with the shallow porous aquifer (SPA). The presence of As in the SPA is probably due to inputs from geothermal waters through normal faulting.