Department of Soil Science, Land Reclamation and Geodesy, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Piątkowska 94, 60-649 Poznań, Poland.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 May 18;20(10):5869. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20105869.
Variability in the heavy metal concentrations in aquatic environments may be influenced by a number of factors that may occur naturally or due to anthropopressure. This article presents the risk of contaminating Warta River bottom sediments with heavy metals such as As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Samples collected from 35 sites located along the river course were analysed over the period of 2010-2021. The calculated pollution indices are characterised by significant spatial variability that was additionally subject to changes in subsequent years. The analysis may have also been influenced by individual measurement results that, in extreme cases, may strongly deviate from the concentration values determined in the same site during the remaining years. The highest median concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, and Pb were in samples collected from sites that are surrounded by areas of anthropogenic land use. Samples from adjacent sites to agricultural areas showed the highest median concentrations of Co, Mn, and Ni, and Zn for those adjacent to forest areas. The research results indicate that, when analysing the degree of the risk of contaminating river bottom sediments with heavy metals, it is necessary to take into account long-term variability in metal concentrations. Taking into consideration data from only one year may lead to inappropriate conclusions and hinder planning protective measures.
水生环境中重金属浓度的变化可能受到多种因素的影响，这些因素可能是自然发生的，也可能是人为压力造成的。本文介绍了瓦塔河底泥受重金属（如砷、镉、钴、铬、铜、汞、锰、镍、铅和锌）污染的风险。在 2010 年至 2021 年期间，从沿河流域的 35 个地点采集了样本进行分析。计算出的污染指数具有显著的空间变异性，并且在随后的年份中还发生了变化。分析结果可能还受到个别测量结果的影响，在极端情况下，这些结果可能与同一年份在同一地点测定的浓度值有很大偏差。在受人为土地利用影响的地点采集的样本中，镉、铬、铜、汞和铅的中值浓度最高。在紧邻农业区的地点采集的样本中，钴、锰和镍以及锌的中值浓度最高，而在紧邻林区的地点采集的样本则中值浓度最高。研究结果表明，在分析河流底泥受重金属污染的风险程度时，必须考虑金属浓度的长期变化。仅考虑一年的数据可能会导致得出不恰当的结论，并阻碍保护措施的规划。
