262
V. Miklavcic
During the course of compiling a report entitled Studies of the Degree of
Environmental Pollution with Mercury in Idrija and its Surrounding in 1980
(Stegnar 1980), it was established that mercury is a major polluter of the
environment, where it undergoes transformation processes and appears in
various chemical forms that are even more hazardous, particularly for humans.
For this reason, researchers warned that special attention should be devoted to
the selection of appropriate technology upon the reopening of mine and in
seeking effective solutions for the rehabilitation of the environment.
The mine was reopened in 1983 and operated with minimum capacity until its
operation was finally stopped in 1994. Today, after almost 500 years of operation,
the Idrija Mine is in the final phase of its gradual shutdown. The time has come
to focus all investigations on environmental issues in the Idrija region and to
develop adequate solutions for its remediation.
In the period between 1983 and 1990, very few studies dealing with the problem
of Hg in the environment were conducted in Idrija. The majority of studies
undertaken in this period were dedicated to the exposed population of miners
and their protection. However, a comprehensive study of the present state of the
environment has not been made to this day. The situation changed after 1990,
probably as a result of the increased awareness of environmental problems.
A number of studies of Hg contamination of the environment and biological
samples have recently been carried out in Idrija and its immediate surroundings
(MiklavCic 1996).
2
Materials and Methods
In the period from 1991 to 1993 numerous measurements of total gaseous Hg in
air were conducted using sampling, storage and final detection procedures
specially developed and optimized for this purpose (Lupsina-MiklavCic 1994).
Total gaseous Hg in air was determined by double amalgamation cold vapour
atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS) after sampling on gold traps.
Epiphytic lichens have long been regarded as suitable tools for monitoring the
relative levels of atmospheric pollution. They are largely dependent on wet and
dry deposition from the atmosphere (Valenta et al. 1986; Brosset and Lord 1991;
Iverfeldt 1991; Lindberg et al. 1991). In 1993 and 1994 the epiphytic lichens
Parmelia suicata, Parmelia caperata and Hypogimnia physodes were collected
from six locations in the town of Idrija around the Mercury Mine at different
distances from the smelting plant and mine shafts. The nearby town of CerknoTrebence served as a reference location. The reference location (1) and sampling
locations (2-7) are shown in Fig. 1.
In November 1993, branches over grown with lichens were transplanted from
an area believed to be unpolluted with Hg (Trebence, reference location) to three
different locations in Idrija (A-C) and exposed for a period of 5 months. The
locations were randomly selected, as the results of measurements of Hg
V. Miklavcic
During the course of compiling a report entitled Studies of the Degree of
Environmental Pollution with Mercury in Idrija and its Surrounding in 1980
(Stegnar 1980), it was established that mercury is a major polluter of the
environment, where it undergoes transformation processes and appears in
various chemical forms that are even more hazardous, particularly for humans.
For this reason, researchers warned that special attention should be devoted to
the selection of appropriate technology upon the reopening of mine and in
seeking effective solutions for the rehabilitation of the environment.
The mine was reopened in 1983 and operated with minimum capacity until its
operation was finally stopped in 1994. Today, after almost 500 years of operation,
the Idrija Mine is in the final phase of its gradual shutdown. The time has come
to focus all investigations on environmental issues in the Idrija region and to
develop adequate solutions for its remediation.
In the period between 1983 and 1990, very few studies dealing with the problem
of Hg in the environment were conducted in Idrija. The majority of studies
undertaken in this period were dedicated to the exposed population of miners
and their protection. However, a comprehensive study of the present state of the
environment has not been made to this day. The situation changed after 1990,
probably as a result of the increased awareness of environmental problems.
A number of studies of Hg contamination of the environment and biological
samples have recently been carried out in Idrija and its immediate surroundings
(MiklavCic 1996).
2
Materials and Methods
In the period from 1991 to 1993 numerous measurements of total gaseous Hg in
air were conducted using sampling, storage and final detection procedures
specially developed and optimized for this purpose (Lupsina-MiklavCic 1994).
Total gaseous Hg in air was determined by double amalgamation cold vapour
atomic absorption spectrometry (CV AAS) after sampling on gold traps.
Epiphytic lichens have long been regarded as suitable tools for monitoring the
relative levels of atmospheric pollution. They are largely dependent on wet and
dry deposition from the atmosphere (Valenta et al. 1986; Brosset and Lord 1991;
Iverfeldt 1991; Lindberg et al. 1991). In 1993 and 1994 the epiphytic lichens
Parmelia suicata, Parmelia caperata and Hypogimnia physodes were collected
from six locations in the town of Idrija around the Mercury Mine at different
distances from the smelting plant and mine shafts. The nearby town of CerknoTrebence served as a reference location. The reference location (1) and sampling
locations (2-7) are shown in Fig. 1.
In November 1993, branches over grown with lichens were transplanted from
an area believed to be unpolluted with Hg (Trebence, reference location) to three
different locations in Idrija (A-C) and exposed for a period of 5 months. The
locations were randomly selected, as the results of measurements of Hg