375
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
B. Balabanova, T. Stafilov (eds.), Contaminant Levels and Ecological Effects,
Emerging Contaminants and Associated Treatment Technologies,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66135-9_13
Chapter 13
Accumulation Abilities of Endemic Plant
Species from the Vicinity of an As-Sb-Tl
Abandoned Mine, Allchar, Kožuf
Mountain
Katerina Bačeva Andonovska, Trajče Stafilov, and Vlado Matevski
Abstract The Allchar mine, located in the southern part of the Republic of Northern
Macedonia, has а unique mineral composition. This mine locality is world-famous
for its thallium minerals but also known for the large amounts of minerals of arsenic
and antimony. Because of the specificity and enriched contents of these potentially
toxic elements in the soil, at this site grow seven local endemic plant species: Viola
allchariensis G. Beck, Viola arsenica G. Beck, Thymus alsarensis Ronn., Centaurea
leucomalla Bornm., Onobrychis degenii Dörfler, Knautia caroli-rechingeri Micev.,
and Centaurea kavadarensis Micev. The main goal of this investigation was to
establish the accumulation of some toxic elements (As, Sb, Tl) in relation to its
mobility in the endemic plant species. Investigations have been initiated to determine the levels of uptake and distribution of As, Sb, and Tl, as well as some other
toxic elements, to the different parts of plant tissues (root, stems, leaves, flower, and
seeds) of these endemic species. The plant samples were digested and then analyzed, applying atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma
(ICP-AES). It was found that the accumulation of As, Sb, and Tl in these endemic
K. B. Andonovska (*)
Research Center for Environment and Materials, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts,
Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
e-mail: kbaceva@manu.edu.mk
T. Stafilov
Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss Cyril and Methodius
University, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
V. Matevski
Research Center for Environment and Materials, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts,
Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss Cyril and Methodius
University, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
Switzerland AG 2021
B. Balabanova, T. Stafilov (eds.), Contaminant Levels and Ecological Effects,
Emerging Contaminants and Associated Treatment Technologies,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66135-9_13
Chapter 13
Accumulation Abilities of Endemic Plant
Species from the Vicinity of an As-Sb-Tl
Abandoned Mine, Allchar, Kožuf
Mountain
Katerina Bačeva Andonovska, Trajče Stafilov, and Vlado Matevski
Abstract The Allchar mine, located in the southern part of the Republic of Northern
Macedonia, has а unique mineral composition. This mine locality is world-famous
for its thallium minerals but also known for the large amounts of minerals of arsenic
and antimony. Because of the specificity and enriched contents of these potentially
toxic elements in the soil, at this site grow seven local endemic plant species: Viola
allchariensis G. Beck, Viola arsenica G. Beck, Thymus alsarensis Ronn., Centaurea
leucomalla Bornm., Onobrychis degenii Dörfler, Knautia caroli-rechingeri Micev.,
and Centaurea kavadarensis Micev. The main goal of this investigation was to
establish the accumulation of some toxic elements (As, Sb, Tl) in relation to its
mobility in the endemic plant species. Investigations have been initiated to determine the levels of uptake and distribution of As, Sb, and Tl, as well as some other
toxic elements, to the different parts of plant tissues (root, stems, leaves, flower, and
seeds) of these endemic species. The plant samples were digested and then analyzed, applying atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma
(ICP-AES). It was found that the accumulation of As, Sb, and Tl in these endemic
K. B. Andonovska (*)
Research Center for Environment and Materials, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts,
Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
e-mail: kbaceva@manu.edu.mk
T. Stafilov
Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss Cyril and Methodius
University, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
V. Matevski
Research Center for Environment and Materials, Macedonian Academy of Sciences and Arts,
Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
Institute of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Ss Cyril and Methodius
University, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia