@misc{10481/96415,
year = {2006},
url = {https://hdl.handle.net/10481/96415},
abstract = {This paper is the final report of TASK 2 which is part of the RAMAS project, in which scientists from the
Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), Pirkanmaa Regional Environment Centre (PREC) and the
Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) participated. The work was performed during 2005/2006. In this report,
information about anthropogenic sources of arsenic in the Pirkanmaa region (also called the Tampere region)
was gathered and RAMAS performed complementary sampling and analyses in potentially contaminated areas.
Data was acquired about chemicals containing arsenic (wood preservative agents, pesticides etc.), the metal
industry and metallic products containing arsenic (e.g. gunshots), mining and waste management. Available
data was gathered from the Chemical Register (KETU), the Register of Contaminated Land Areas and the
Register of Surface Waters maintained by the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE) and the Regional
Environment Centers of Finland, from environmental authorities and other very diverse sources. Dozens of
unpublished file reports on the risk assessments and remediation of contaminated soils provided by consulting
companies and previous studies made by the Regional Environment Centers of Finland were studied to gather
information about arsenic contamination. Information about environmental impacts of mining industry was
obtained from geological publications. The data acquisition was difficult because information about
contamination, concentrations and risk assessments of arsenic is scattered in unpublished reports and informal
papers. RAMAS studied areas affected by soil and surface water contamination in one wood preservative plant
(52 field analyses and 5 samples analyzed in laboratory), two mines (6 tailings samples analyzed for
geochemical composition, leachability and toxicity, 6 lake and stream sediment samples and over 60 surface
water samples), waste treatment and municipal waste water treatment plants. In total, over 100 samples were
analyzed.
The acquired data as well as sampling and analyses performed by RAMAS confirmed that wood preservation
plants are the major source for arsenic in the Pirkanmaa region. They may pose a risk to nearby residents,
surface waters and groundwater, but only affect rather small areas. Shotgun shooting ranges are possible arsenic
contaminated areas though lead is the main concern in these sites. The mining industry may affect vast areas
through air and especially through surface waters, which was shown in the RAMAS studies in the former
Ylöjärvi mine. Arsenic is transported from the mine area along a seven kilometers long watercourse to Lake
Näsijärvi. The mining activities can be traced from the lake and stream sediments as high concentrations of
arsenic and other heavy metals. The studies of waste management also show that, in general, waste material
does not contain high concentrations of arsenic. However, point source pollution from wood preservative
product wastes or disposed CCA-treated wood can be a contamination risk in the surroundings of older, poorly
isolated landfills.
In addition to old landfills, the area around of scrap yards, closed factories, old refineries, foundries and
tanneries are potentially arsenic contaminated areas. Animal shelters, like fur ranges, and the plastic industry
among many other human activities are also probable contaminants though arsenic is not the main detrimental
element. However, all of the contaminated sites in the Pirkanmaa region are relatively small compared to other
European countries, such as extensive mining areas in southern Spain.},
organization = {RAMAS (LIFE04 ENV/FI/000300) is a three-year project, which is jointly funded by the LIFE
ENVIRONMENT – program, by the beneficiary, the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), and by
the partners: the Helsinki University of Technology (TKK), the Pirkanmaa Regional Environment
Center (PREC), the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE), the Agrifood Research Finland (MTT),
Esko Rossi Oy (ER) and Kemira Kemwater (Kemira).},
keywords = {environmental geology},
keywords = {arsenic},
keywords = {soil pollution},
keywords = {water pollution},
keywords = {wood preservatives},
keywords = {shooting ranges},
keywords = {mines},
keywords = {tailings},
keywords = {leaching},
keywords = {stream sediments},
keywords = {lake sediments},
keywords = {ecotoxicity},
keywords = {waste},
title = {Anthropogenic Arsenic Sources in the Tampere Region},
author = {Parviainen, Annika Jenni Johana and Vaajasaari, Kati and Loukola-Ruskeeniemi, Kirsti and Kauppila, Tommi and Bilaletdin, Ämer and Kaipainen, Heikki and Tammenmaa, Jalle and Hokkanen, Tero},
}