AN OVERVIEW OF ARSENIC POLLUTION OVER FOUR NORTH-EAST COUNTRIES OF EUROPE INFLUENCED BY NATURAL AND ANTHROPOGENIC SOURCES

Abstract

Arsenic (As) is one of the most important elements found in the environment. It is a toxic metalloid that is res-ponsible for the contamination of soil/sediments and water courses due to various natural and anthropogenic processes. This may lead to adverse effects on human health, therefore it is important to monitor and control. The objective of this paper is to summarize the literature on arsenic anomalies in soil/sediments and water of four North-East European countries; the measurements are reported for Finland, Sweden, Lithuania and Poland. The origin of most of the arsenic pollution is determined to be natural and mostly anthropogenic for these co-untries. The data reveal that As is present in matrices such as soil, sediments and water. This review highlights that the As concentration in drinking water or soil/sediments of the four countries exceeds the international standard limits. As at higher concentrations are associated with the mining region of Adak in the Västerbotten district of northern Sweden (e.g. groundwater upto 2900 μg/L; sediments upto 900 mg/kg).