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ABSTRACT
The analysis of bottom sediment quality is an important yet sensitive issue. The anthropological influences (i.e., urban, industrial and agricultural activities) as well as the natural processes (i.e., changes in precipitation amounts, erosion and weathering of crustal materials) degrade surface water quality and impair its use for drinking, industrial, agricultural, recreational and other purposes. Due to spatial and temporal variations in water chemistry, a monitoring program that provides a representative and reliable estimation of the quality of surface waters has become an important necessity. Heavy metals are usually present at low concentrations in aquatic environments but deposits of anthropogenic origin have raised their concentrations, causing environmental problems in rivers. This research was realised in order to determine and analyse selected heavy metals present in sediment samples from six river basin on East of Slovakia, representing by the rivers Hornad, Laborec, Torysa, Ondava, Topla and Poprad. Sampling points were selected based on the current surface water quality monitoring network. Investigation was focused on heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Ni, Hg, As, Fe, Mn). The content of heavy metals reflected the scale of industrial and mining activities in a particular locality. The degree of sediment contamination in the rivers and their comparison, has been evaluated using a Pollution load index.
Keywords: sediment, heavy metal, pollution load index
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INTRODUCTION
Water and sediment quality monitoring are amongst the highest priorities of environmental protection policy. Their main objective is to control and minimise the incidence of pollutant - oriented problems, and to provide for water of appropriate quality to serve various purposes such as drinking water supply, irrigation water etc. [1]. The quality of water and sediments are identified in terms of their physical, chemical and biological parameters. The particular problem regarding water quality monitoring is the complexity associated with analysing the large number of measured variables [2], [3]. The analysis of sediment quality is an important yet sensitive issue. The anthropological influences (i.e., urban, industrial and agricultural activities) as well as the natural processes (i.e., changes in precipitation amounts, erosion and weathering of crustal materials) degrade surface water quality and impair its use for drinking, industrial, agricultural, recreational and other purposes. Due to spatial and temporal variations in water chemistry, a...