Geochemistry of Potentially Toxic Trace Elements in Soils of Mining Area: A Case Study from Zangezur Copper and Molybdenum Combine, Armenia

Research was carried out to determine and asses the influence of mining industries on soil contamination with application of various pollution indices. For soil sampling 13 points were selected. Soil samples were analyzed for heavy metals by AAS. Eleven elements were determined and the greater quantities were generally observed in case of Mo and Cu. During the testing of soil pollution level pollution load index, degree of contamination (Cd) and geoaccumulation index were used. The correlation analysis revealed the strongest positive correlation between molybdenum and copper and that the high content of mentioned elements in soil was caused by mining industry. Assessment based on Cd showed that the 33.3% of A horizon soil samples referred to a very high degree of pollution. Obtained results will be useful for implementation of control measures of pollution and the remediation techniques.