Accumulation Abilities of Endemic Plant Species from the Vicinity of an As-Sb-Tl Abandoned Mine, Allchar, Kožuf Mountain

The Allchar mine, located in the southern part of the Republic of Northern Macedonia, has а unique mineral composition. This mine locality is world-famous for its thallium minerals but also known for the large amounts of minerals of arsenic and antimony. Because of the specificity and enriched contents of these potentially toxic elements in the soil, at this site grow seven local endemic plant species: Viola allchariensis G. Beck, Viola arsenica G. Beck, Thymus alsarensis Ronn., Centaurea leucomalla Bornm., Onobrychis degenii Dorfler, Knautia caroli-rechingeri Micev., and Centaurea kavadarensis Micev. The main goal of this investigation was to establish the accumulation of some toxic elements (As, Sb, Tl) in relation to its mobility in the endemic plant species. Investigations have been initiated to determine the levels of uptake and distribution of As, Sb, and Tl, as well as some other toxic elements, to the different parts of plant tissues (root, stems, leaves, flower, and seeds) of these endemic species. The plant samples were digested and then analyzed, applying atomic emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma (ICP-AES). It was found that the accumulation of As, Sb, and Tl in these endemic species is significantly high. Such behavior of As, Sb, and Tl was confirmed by the extraction tests of soil samples applying various solvents.