Original scientific paper

Mercury in Aquatic Sediments and Soils from Croatia

Nevenka Mikac
Vibor Roje
Neven Cukrov
Delphine Foucher

Abstract

Mercury is one of the most toxic and hazardous pollutant which occurs in the environment in different chemical forms, of which methylmercury is the most dangerous. Recently it was recognised that long-term anthropogenic inputs of mercury into environment resulted in the global mercury pollution and it was concluded that action should be taken to quantify the pollution sources and reduce human-generated releases of mercury. This paper presents new data on mercury levels in aquatic sediments from about 15 Croatian rivers, lakes and estuaries. It also brings data on mercury concentrations in soils from eight different regions of Croatia. Distribution of mercury species is discussed in more details for the Sava River, the Krka estuary and the Kaštela Bay on the eastern Adriatic coast. Results show that sediments and soils from Croatia are generally not contaminated by mercury, except for some rivers and coastal locations under direct anthropogenic influence.

Keywords

Aquatic sediments; Croatia; environment; mercury; methylmercury; pollution; soils

Hrčak ID:

4582

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/4582

Publication date:

28.9.2006.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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