Pollution caused by metallic fragments introduced into soils because of World War I activities

The influence of parent rock and soil material on the corrosion rate of metallic fragments that remained in soil after World War I in the Soca area (Slovenia), as well as the corrosion products of these fragments, were studied. The results corrosion tests did not indicate appreciable differences in corrosion rates between various corrosion media. Consequently, the corrosion rates are influenced mostly by soil aeration, soil humidity and also by microstructures of alloys. Soil type seems to have the most influence on corrosion products. For the pH and Eh ranges that prevail in the studied soils, goethite is the only stable iron mineral. Lead minerals are nor stable, and lead, in a Pb2+ cation form, is probably adsorbed onto some minerals - especially goethite - or is bound with organic matter. In distric brown soil, lead stays in the cation form as Pb2+ because of high soil acidity. Cuprite is stable in rendzina and brown soil on limestone, whereas in distric brown soil copper stays in solution as Cu2+.