Trace elements distribution in soil in areas of lignite power plants of Western Macedonia

The concentration of 16 trace elements (V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Mo, As, Cd, Hg, Sn, Se, Sb, Ba, Ag and Pb) has been determined in 39 points distributed over the 2300 km(2) of the Kozani-Ptolemaida-Amynteon basin (Western Macedonia). In this area there are four lignite power plants, with an installed power of 4048 MW, which discharged into atmosphere around 69500 tons/year of fly ash. Seventy soil samples, 0 to 20 cm depths, from both uncultivated and cultivated soils have been investigated. Except for Cr, Mn, Ni and Co in three uncultivated soil samples, no statistically significant increased concentrations could be evidenced in the considered area.