Environmental monitoring with river suspended matter : case study in the River Dalälven, central Sweden

• Heavy metal concentrations are presented for suspended sediment from the River Dalälven, central Sweden. The river is contaminated by acid mine drainage and data from the most polluted tributary, Garpenbergsån, are also presented. Element/Al ratios in the suspended phase showed that K, Mg and Ti were mainly hosted in detrital particles together with a large fraction of Si. Between 50 and 60% of the load of Fe, Ca and Na were in non-detrital form. Less than 10% of the total load of suspended Mn and P were in a detrital form. The sediment in the River Dalälven is polluted by As, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn. These elements, except Pb, showed an even stronger enrichment in the suspended phase. This indicated that between one third and one half of the suspended load was recirculated to the water column during sedimentation. Arsenic, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn showed linear correlations with non-detrital Fe, close to the inflow of the polluted stream Garpenbergsån. Deposition of non-detrital Fe, Na, Cr, Cu and Ni in the sedimentation basins close to the river mouth reduced the suspended discharge of these elements to the Baltic Sea. However, the basins acted as sources for non-detrital suspended As, Hg, Pb, and Zn during the studied period. The calculated net export, in a non-detrital form, for these elements was 141, 3.7, 1100 and 7000 kg, respectively as measured between May and October.

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap -- Geokemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Earth and Related Environmental Sciences -- Geochemistry (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Applied Geology

Tillämpad geologi

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