This study is part of the ongoing environmental monitoring program of the abandoned Mecsek uranium mine. On the mine’s recultivated spoil deposit No. I, anomalies that refer to possible migration alongside the slope were detected. The present study was conducted to supplement the ongoing monitoring study with a sampling strategy and analytical methods that can characterize the mobility of potentially toxic elements and radionuclides. A sampling strategy was developed: the vegetation and soil core samples were collected from the slope from top to bottom of the deposit, and nearby this spoil deposit, water samples were collected. Elemental analyses were conducted: the pseudo-total analysis, a total concentration of uranium in water, and the BCR sequential extraction analysis. The radionuclides were determined by gamma spectrometry and alphaGUARD. Additionally, the soil and plant moisture content, soil organic matter, pH, and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were determined. The Pearson correlation analysis and the principal component analysis, considering all possible influencing factors, verified that the elemental concentration increase from the top to the bottom direction of the deposit is strongly influenced by the soil pH, CEC, and Ca content. The mobility of Cd, Co, Mn, Pb, and U is relatively high and significantly migrates down the slope.

Partially treated wastewater can potentially provide a reliable and constant source of water and nutrients for hydroponic crop production. It is essential to determine the macronutrient content of the effluent, such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), to maximize the yield. Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) measurements are essential daily tasks to be fulfilled, measurements were applied for multiple sources of K content only in this study, determining the exact daily content and concentration pattern. Influent and effluent K levels were measured separately. According to measurements, it was observed that the concentration of K decreased significantly during treatment, with varying values as the wastewater passed through different treatment stages. Two locations with dissimilar technologies were sampled: Etyek, Hungary, semi-continuous batch system with suspended sludge, and South-Pest, Hungary, a continuous activated sludge system. The results were 39,7 mg/l in the influent and 7,5 mg/l in the effluent in Etyek, while South-Pest contained 28,9 mg/l in the influent and 24,5 mg/l K in the effluent respectively. Furthermore, the potassium content was measured in the Return Activated Sludge (RAS) line of South-Pest and found 50,8 mg/l concentration, however, it is being removed from wastewater with the Wasted Activated Sludge (WAS) in activated sludge systems.

This study is part of the ongoing environmental monitoring program of the abandoned Mecsek uranium mine during the remediation period. During this program on the recultivated No.1 spoil bank, the radioactivity and the potentially toxic element (PTE) contents in the covering soil had shown some anomalies which refers to possible migration alongside the slope. Therefore, in a previous study, soil and plant samples were collected from top to bottom position of the slope and the total element content was determined by multi-elemental inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. The results have indicated that there was a high possibility for PTEs to be mobile and available for uptake by plants. To confirm this indication in the present study for the soil samples the BCR sequential extraction procedure was applied to characterise the environmental mobility of PTEs, and it was compared with soil pH and cation exchange capacity (CEC). The results indicated that the ratio of Cd, Co, Mn, Pb, and U in the non-residual fractions ranged between 36.8 to 100 % and increased from top to bottom direction. The comparison showed that the samples with the lowest pH and CEC had the most mobility of the PTEs. The distribution of U, Cd, Mn, Co, and Pb in fractions indicated that some parts of the spoil deposit require additional steps to hinder the migration through the covering soil layer, and the BCR sequential extraction procedure has proven to be useful in providing information for the planning and management of remediation operations.

Potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in ecosystems and construction materials pose a significant environmental concern. Various qualitative and quantitative techniques are employed to analyse PTEs in a sample. This study explores an innovative approach that incorporates PTE (Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb) adsorbent ash, specifically adsorbed paper ash (APA) and adsorbed mulch ash (AMA), into mortar composites. This approach offers several advantages, including reduced reliance on waste landfills, energy recovery during the ashing process, and immobilisation of PTEs within a cement matrix. This study evaluated the elemental and microstructural characteristics of mortar composites incorporated with adsorbed ash by using a scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), followed by analysing the elemental maps with ImageJ software version 1.8.0. Parallel experiments were conducted to measure the leaching of mortar composites. The total elemental content of PTEs in the leachate solutions was quantified using an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). The differences in adsorption capacity and leaching of PTEs observed between paper and mulch can be ascribed to their distinct affinities, which are influenced by the recorded pH levels. The examined elemental mapping revealed a consistent distribution across the APA and AMA mortar matrix structures, with greater intensity than the blank mortar sample. Furthermore, there is a reverse correlation between the order of percentage area coverage of the immobilised elements and the order of leaching, indicating that the PTEs were successfully immobilised. The percentage of PTE area coverage within AMA mortar composites followed the subsequent order: Pb > Cd > Zn > Cu, constituting 32.1 %, 28.6 %, 13.8 %, and 12.4 %, respectively. This order was also observed in the blank mortar composite, with percentages of 12.5 %, 8.6 %, 4.5 %, and 4.2 %, respectively. In the case of the APA mortar composite, the percentage of area coverage followed a different sequence: Cd > Pb > Zn > Cu, representing 27.7 %, 26.6 %, 14.5 %, and 14.1 %, respectively. The results also demonstrated notable improvements in the microstructure of the mortar when AMA and APA are incorporated, which is attributed to the ash additives’ micro-filling capacity. The findings contribute to advancing environmentally sound construction practices, with implications for sustainable waste management and pollution mitigation.

Glauconite, a diagenetic sedimentary phyllosilicate mineral, holds significant importance in soil science, as it is commonly used in soil characterization (as in greensands) and can be identified in the field by its color and morphology. It is a potential fertilizer, rich in essential macronutrients like potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and numerous micronutrients such as manganese, zinc, copper, cobalt, and nickel. In this meticulously conducted study, we extracted five individual elements (potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and zinc) from washed glauconite samples separated into five different size fractions using a suite of acids. The acids employed were nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, and phosphoric acid, each prepared at the same molarity of 0.1 M. Water was used as the control solubilizing medium. The extractant behavior of the acids was assessed by measuring concentrations of each element by the ICP-OES device. The results demonstrate that nitric acid consistently exhibits the highest efficacy in releasing elements, followed by hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid, while acetic acid results in the lowest release of these nutrients. These findings support the use of acidification treatment of glauconite, enhancing elemental release and potentially reducing the amount of glauconite needed as an alternative fertilizer, thus adding economic value.