Naslov
Sediment at the sinking site of the ancient ship (Gnalić, Biograd na Moru, Croatia) as a centuries-old mercury source in the marine environment

Autori
Kwokal, Željko ; Cuculić, Vlado ; Cukrov, Neven ; Radić Rossi, Irena

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, sažetak, znanstveni

Izvornik
Sediment as a dynamic natural resource: from catchment to open sea / Euser, Marjan - Utrecht : Deltares, 2019, 103-103

Skup
11th International SedNet Conference: Sediment as a dynamic natural resource from catchment to open sea

Mjesto i datum
Dubrovnik, Hrvatska, 03.04.2019. - 05.04.2019

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Poster

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
Marine sediment ; Mercury ; Underwater archeological site ; Pollution

Sažetak
At the end of 16th century, on its way from Venice (Italy) to Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) a large merchantman was lost near Islet of Gnalić, Biograd na Moru, Croatian Eastern Adriatic coast. Mercury ore cinnabar (HgS), vermillion powder and elemental mercury (roughly estimated between 500-1000 kilograms) were found among various types of merchandise of ship’s cargo. It is assumed that these mercury forms have been used for medical and cosmetic purposes. The sinking ship was discovered in the 1960s, and the first detailed and systematic measurement of mercury at a sunken site (depth of 25 meters) and its vicinity began in 2013. Sediment samples were taken between and after excavation seasons from five places to a depth of 10 centimetres by scuba diving technique. After drying, non-fractionated sediments were digested with a mixture of nitric, perchloric and hydrofluoric acid. Mercury analyses were carried out by cold-vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS) method with detection limit of 0.001 microgram per gram for solid materials. The measured concentrations of total mercury are on average two orders of magnitude higher compared to concentrations in predominantly unpolluted sediments of Eastern Adriatic. The presence of dissolved gaseous mercury in the surface of the water column (25 meters) above sinking area at concentrations up to thousand times that of pristine sea water clearly shows that mercury in sediment is a source of emanation of different mercury species into aquatics with possible different consequences.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Geologija, Kemija, Interdisciplinarne prirodne znanosti

POVEZANOST RADA