Mercury and aluminium in arable soils in the area of influence of brown coal mine and power plant based on the example of the Bogatynia region (Southwestern Poland)

This study presents research on the content of mercury and aluminium in arable soils within the range of influence of the Coal Mine and Power Plant Turów (Bogatynia region). The results were compared for reference with the region of Zgorzelec, which is situated outside the range of emission and with the results of tests conducted by other authors. The tests did not show a statistically significant increase in the mercury level in arable land from the range of influence of the Coal Mine and Power Plant Turów, neither in comparison to soils from Zgorzelec region. It is noticeable that the maximum level of mercury in the analysed area was nearly twice as high as in the values obtained in soils from industrial area in Opole and 25 times lower than the maximum mercury level found in the soils of Jelenia Góra District. On the other hand, tests of aluminium content showed a significant, nearly 3 times higher level of this metal in the range of direct influence of the Coal Mine and Power Plant Turów in comparison with the Zgorzelec region. The noted values were higher than in soils from industrial area in Opole.