TY - JOUR A1 - Jurković, J. A1 - Kazlagić, Anera A1 - Sulejmanović, J. A1 - Smječanin, N. A1 - Karalija, E. A1 - Prkić, A. A1 - Nuhanović, M. A1 - Kolar, M. A1 - Albuquerque, A. T1 - Assessment of heavy metals bioaccumulation in Silver Birch (Betula pendula Roth) from an AMD active, abandoned gold mine waste N2 - Acid mine drainage (AMD) is generally outlined as one of the largest environmental concerns, characterized by very low pH value of mine waste, heavy metals and high sulphate content. This extremely hostile environment reduces plant ability to develop and grow. Present study focuses on a silver birch (Betula pendula Roth), a pioneer species that grows on an extremely hostile gold mine waste, to investigate the bioaccumulation of rare metals (thallium (Tl) and indium (In)), as well as nine other more common heavy metals (bismuth (Bi), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), silver (Ag) and zinc (Zn)), and to asses phytoextraction and phytostabilization potential of silver birch. Additionally, parameters determining AMD process and overall contamination (pH, electrical conductivity (EC), sulphates (SO₄²⁻), arsenic (As), iron (Fe), oxidation–reduction potential (ORP), turbidity, dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved solids (TDS), acidity, hardness, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and radioactivity) were determined in mine waste and drainage water samples. To assess the heavy metals bioaccumulation and mine waste status, statistical geochemical indices were determined: bioaccumulation factor (BCF), pollution load index (PLI), geochemical abundance index (GAI) and exposure index (EI). The results show that silver birch bioaccumulates the essential elements Cu, Ni, Mn and Zn, and the nonessential elements Tl (average BCF = 24.99), In (average BC = 23.01) and Pb (average BCF = 0.84). Investigated mine waste was enriched by Bi, Ag and Cd according to positive values of GAI index. Present research provides a novel insight into bioaccumulation of nonessential heavy metals in silver birches who grow on the extremely hostile mine waste, and they exhibit significant phytoremediation potential. KW - Heavy metals KW - Acid mine drainage KW - Bioaccumulation KW - Silver birch KW - Thallium PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01774-7 SN - 1573-2983 SN - 0142-7245 VL - 45 SP - 9855 EP - 9873 PB - Springer Science and Business Media CY - Dordrecht AN - OPUS4-61835 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -