A new approach to the analysis of the accumulation and enrichment of heavy metals in the Danube River sediment along the Iron Gate reservoir in Serbia

Abstract

The concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd) and long-lived radionuclides (U, Th and Cs) along the Iron Gate reservoir of the River Danube in Serbia were determined. In the years 2005-2009, water and sediments were sampled at six sites along 200 km of the River Danube from Belgrade to the Djerdap (Iron Gate) hydroelectric power plant. The concentrations of heavy metals in the sediment were found to be in the ranges of 27.9-149.3 mg kg -1 for Cu, 55.2-228.4 mg kg -1 for Zn, 13.5-71.6 mg kg -1 for Pb, 0.3-25.2 mg kg -1 for Cd and 4.0-17.5 Bq L -1 for 137Cs. These values are in correlation with the concentrations in the river water when expressed by the equilibrium coefficients (K d) between the solid and liquid phases. The behaviors of the heavy metals were evaluated by applications models for the prediction of the behavior of pollutants in rivers. The fluxes of heavy metals from water to sediment and vice versa were also determined. © 2012 Copyright (CC) SCS.