Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.17794/rgn.2022.4.10
LEVELS OF HAZARDOUS TRACE ELEMENTS IN ESTUARINE SEDIMENTS, FISH, MUSSELS AND WILD BOAR COLLECTED FROM THE RAŠA BAY AREA (CROATIA)
Tatjana Ivošević
; University of Rijeka Faculty of Maritime Studies, Studentska 2, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia
Miloš Momčilović
; Department of Physical Chemistry, Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences - National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
Nina Bilandžić
; Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska cesta 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
A part of the Raša Bay (western Croatia) is an estuary that is fed by the sediment load from the Raša River. The local area had been affected by the former Raša coal industry. The aim of this study was to determine levels of hazardous trace elements (HTEs) in bottom estuarine sediments, fish and mussels collected from two sites downstream of the Raša River mouth, and a wild boar’s kidney donated by hunters. The pseudo-total concentrations of 21 HTEs in sediments were obtained by the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technique. The results showed that sediment collected closest to the former Raša coal separation unit Štalije was enriched in V, Sr, Ni, Cu, and Pb. Concentrations of HTEs in flathead grey mullet, wild blue mussels, and wild boar were obtained by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results showed that Pb, Cd and Hg in fish and wild mussels were not elevated compared to the Regulation levels of contaminants in food. Lead and Cd in the kidney of a wild boar exceeded the prescribed maximum values for food. This study warrants further geochemical investigations of the Raša Bay environment.
Keywords
Raša River estuary; estuarine sediments; fish; mussels; wild boar
Hrčak ID:
281521
URI
Publication date:
24.8.2022.
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