Croatica Chemica Acta, Vol. 91 No. 1, 2018.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.5562/cca3202
Distribution of Trace Elements in Waters of the Zrmanja River Estuary (Eastern Adriatic Coast, Croatia)
Željka Fiket
orcid.org/0000-0002-7628-9045
; Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Bijenička c. 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Maja Ivanić
; Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Bijenička c. 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Martina Furdek Turk
; Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Bijenička c. 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Nevenka Mikac
; Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Bijenička c. 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Goran Kniewald
; Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, Bijenička c. 54, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
This study aims to investigate the geochemical characteristics of waters of the highly stratified Zrmanja River estuary (eastern Adriatic coast, Croatia). For that purpose, data on salinity and distribution of 16 elements in surface and bottom water of the Zrmanja River estuary was used to assess the spatial variation of trace elements in the estuary water and to identify the main processes governing these variations. The composition of the investigated water was found to be determined primarily by natural factors. Mass concentration levels of dissolved elements were relatively low and typical for unpolluted waters and are considered to primarily reflect the geological and hydrogeological background of the catchment area. The distribution of element mass concentrations along the water column was found to primarily reflect different water masses, the river on the surface and sea at the bottom. Deviation from conservative behaviour for some elements in the bottom water is due to adsorption and desorption processes from the particulate phases.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Keywords
trace elements; geochemistry; estuary; Zrmanja River; Adriatic
Hrčak ID:
198184
URI
Publication date:
2.1.2018.
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