Naslov
Distribution of trace metals in freshwater and estuarine sediments from war-impacted areas in Croatia

Autori
Mikac, Nevenka ; Roje, Vibor ; Kniewald, Goran

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

Izvornik
Workshop on Mitigation of environmental consequences of war in Croatia &#8211 ; risk assessment of hazardous chemical contamination, Zagreb, rujan 2005. / Ahel, Marijan ; Kniewald, Goran - Zagreb : Institut Ruđer Bošković, 2005

Skup
Workshop on Mitigation of environmental consequences of war in Croatia &#8211 ; risk assessment of hazardous chemical contamination, Zagreb, rujan 2005.

Mjesto i datum
Zagreb, Hrvatska, 26.09.2005. - 27.09.2005

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Nije recenziran

Ključne riječi
metali; akvatički sedimenti; ratna zagađenja; Hrvatska
(metals; aquatic sdiments; war-realted contamination; Croatia)

Sažetak
Aquatic sediments are sinks for most pollutants which arrive to the aquatic environment, so data on the pollutants level in sediment provide a good indication on the contamination level of the whole water body. In the frame of the project, sediments from about 15 rivers from Croatia, flowing through war-affected areas, were collected. A detailed study on the spatial distribution of metals in sediments was performed in the region of the Plitvice lakes and the Krka river estuary, both of these also being National park areas. Sediments were air dried under laminar flow, sieved and the fine fraction (<63 &micro ; m) was separated for analysis. Acid digestion of sediments was performed by concentrated nitric acid in a closed micro-wave system. About 30 elements were determined in the digestion extracts by HR ICPMS. Mercury was measured in undigested sediments by an AMA solid mercury analyzer. Two sediment Certified Reference Materials (CRM), the marine sediment MESS-3, and the freshwater sediment GW 07311 were used for quality control purposes and to determine the recovery of the extraction of analyzed metals by the digestion method used. It revealed that for the majority of elements more than 90% of metals were extracted by the method used. Lower recoveries were obtained for elements incorporated in the sediment matrix, such as Al, Ba, K, Sr and Ti, whereas in marine sediment (MESS-3) even these elements were almost quantitatively extracted by HNO3. Results showed that concentrations of anthropogenic metals were typically higher in major rivers exposed to industrial and municipal waste loads (Sava, Drava and Dunav/Danube). However, some unexpected results were also obtained, i.e. high levels of Cd in some tributaries of the Plitvice lakes, and in the highly polluted sediment of the Krka estuary in front of the town of Šibenik. The nature of sediments as a recipient of long term pollution of the whole water body does not allow a simple assessment of the environmental impact of war on the basis of metal pollution levels. However, the results of our investigations represent an excellent data set on metal levels in Croatian rivers and lakes &#8211; information which is generally inadequate or missing, and provides a basis for further research.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Geologija

POVEZANOST RADA