We combined elemental and isotopic studies, leaching techniques and speciation modeling to describe Cu and Pb behavior in contaminated soil profiles of Kombat, Namibia. Tailings, soils and bedrock samples were analyzed. We described pollutants’ behavior in detail for different type of soils and concluded that migration is highly dependent on soil characteristics and element speciation shown by variations, or lack thereof, in concentrations, δ⁶⁵Cu and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb values with depth.

Mihaljevič M., Baieta R., Ettler V., Vaněk A., Kříbek B., Penížek V., Drahota P., Trubač J., Sracek O., Chrastný V., Mapani B. S. (2019): Tracing the metal dynamics in semi-arid soils near mine tailings using stable Cu and Pb isotopes. Chemical Geology 515, 61-76. (DOI)