engleski

The Neretva River Delta: Distribution Pattern of Sediments and Characterization of Nanosized Mineral Phases

The Neretva River is the largest river on the Croatian part of the Eastern Adriatic coast and the only one forming a deltaic system. The entire area of the Neretva River delta was investigated in order to determine the origin of sediments as well as their spatial distribution pattern and to provide a detailed characterization of their inorganic component. The sediment samples, as well as extracted micron-sized fraction, were analysed in order to determine size and morphology of particles and mineral composition of sediments. To estimate the reactivity of particles, specific surface area (SSA) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) were measured. Sediments from the Neretva River system contained high portions of sand and only a small content of clay fraction indicating that most of the fine particles are transported seaward. The river discharge of suspended terrestrial particles was found to be the main source of material accumulating in the Neretva Channel, where the sedimentation dynamics is governed by aggregation and rapid deposition of fine-grained sediments from the river plume. Clay minerals are the prevailing component in the Neretva Channel sediments, which results in a significant increase of specific surface area and cation exchange capacities. These properties are reflected in higher reactivity of particles and their increased interaction with the environment. The presence of clay minerals in sediments is of great interest because they affect the transport of pollutants, their distribution and bioavailability.

Neretva River Delta; sediments; nanosized mineral phases

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