Antimony, arsenic and lead distribution in soils and plants of an agricultural area impacted by former mining activities

An agricultural area impacted by the former exploitation of an arsenical lead-antimony deposit was studied in order to assess the current and eventual environmental and health impacts. Samples of soils and cultivated (wheat) and spontaneously growing plants were collected at different distances from the mine pits and analyzed for the toxic element content and distribution. The soil total concentrations of Sb, As and Pb found in the uppermost soil layer (14.1–324, 246–758 and 757–10,660mgkg−1, respectively) greatly surpass their maximum tolerable levels in agricultural soils. Wheat grain Pb concentrations (0.068–1.36mgkg−1) exceed the prescribed health standard, whereas Sb (