Lead in the bottom sediments of water bodies in the Upper Silesia region (southern Poland)

摘要

The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which the bottom sediments of water bodies in the Upper Silesia region in southern Poland are contaminated with lead; an attempt was also made to determine the factors that condition spatial differences in the concentration of this element between individual water bodies. Lead content was determined in sediment samples of 0.25 g each at Activation Laboratories Ltd. (Canada) using the ICP method with a lead detection limit of 5 ppm. Lead was found in the bottom sediments of water bodies examined in amounts ranging from 32 to 3340 ppm. In only seven out of the 50 water bodies examined did bottom sediments contain lead in amounts that is considered natural; in the remaining water bodies, natural levels were exceeded pointing to probable anthropogenic pollution. In order to confirm the correlation found between the amount of lead in the bottom sediments of water bodies in the Upper Silesia region and the intensity of human impact, additional studies will need to be conducted. Lead content in bottom sediments was in some cases several times higher than that in the sediments within the substrate of water body basins.