Short report (27.01.2014) – partial output of the action A5 “Environmental analysis”
Abstract
Impact of potentially toxic elements (PTE) on the health status of population has been studied in three historical mining areas of the Slovak Republic. In these areas the health of population living in municipalities with increased PTE contents (As, Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Hg and Sb) was compared with that in adjacent municipalities showing low PTE contents. A total of 138 contaminated and 155 non-contaminated municipalities of similar socioeconomic, natural and geochemical-geological character were compared. PTE contents in soils of polluted municipalities reported considerably increased levels – between 2 to 10 times higher in contrast to non-contaminated municipalities. On the other hand, PTE contents in groundwater were almost identical both in contaminated as well as non-contaminated areas and in majority of cases were below limit standard values for drinking water. Based on the assessment of the health status of population using 43 health indicators (the indicators of demographic development and the indicators of health status), no significant difference in the health status of population in contaminated and non-contaminated municipalities has been reported. Therefore, it can be concluded that if groundwater used for drinking purposes are not contaminated in these historical mining areas, the resident population is set to minor danger than has been stated so far.
