Assessment of metal exposure, ecological status and required water quality monitoring strategies in small- to medium-size temperate rivers

ABSTRACT

The present study was undertaken to obtain a better understanding of the seasonal variability of total dissolved metal/metalloid levels and physicochemical parameters within small- to medium-size freshwater ecosystems in temperate climate region. The research was conducted in four seasons in the Sutla River, medium-size polluted, and the Črnomerec Stream, small-size unpolluted watercourse in Croatia. In the Sutla River, characterized by the rural/industrial catchment, physicochemical parameters and total dissolved metal concentrations of 21 trace and 4 macro elements were analysed downstream of the point source of pollution, the glass production facility, indicating for the first time their variability across four seasons. Based on dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, nutrient concentrations, conductivity and total chemical oxygen demand, quality status of the Sutla River was good, but moderate to poor during summer, what was additionally confirmed by the highest levels of the most of 25 measured metals/metalloids in summer. Comparison with the reference small-size watercourse, the Črnomerec Stream, indicated significant anthropogenic impact on the Sutla River, most evident for Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Rb and Tl levels (3-70-fold higher in the Sutla River across all seasons). Generally, presented results indicated significant decrease of the water quality in the anthropogenically impacted small- to medium-size watercourses in summer, regarding physicochemical water parameters and total dissolved metal/metalloid concentrations, and pointed to significant seasonality of these parameters. Confirmed seasonality of river ecological status indicates that seasonal assessment represents a prerequisite for proper classification of the water quality in small- to medium-size temperate rivers.

KEYWORDS:

• Anthropogenic impact
• ecological status
• glass production
• macro elements
• trace elements

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to Nesrete Krasnići for valuable help in metal determination on HR ICP-MS.

Funding

Financial support by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia (projects No. 098-0982934-2721 and 119-0000000-1205) is acknowledged. We appreciate the assistance of the Meteorological and Hydrological Service Office for reporting the data on hydrological parameters of the Sutla River and Črnomerec Stream.