Heavy metals as environmental pollutants can have natural or anthropogenic origin. To determine the river sediment pollution status, it is crucial to have appropriate reference samples, free of ...anthropogenic impact, and natural reference samples should be used wherever and whenever possible. The collection of reference samples should be performed in the vicinity of the research area in a place that belongs to the same geological environment and is undisturbed by human activity. The main purpose of this study was to compare concentrations of heavy metals from different rivers with background values to show that the usage of natural background values is the best option when assessing pollution status, but also to underline that the natural background values have to correspond to the analyzed sediments. In this study, 5 river sediments from Sava, 17 from Great War Island (GWI), 11 from Danube, 24 from Tisa, 47 from Tamiš, and 11 from Timok were evaluated relative to reference samples from the Sava and Tisa Rivers. The results indicate that geological origin has a strong influence on the content of heavy metals in river sediments, primarily regarding concentrations of Ni and Co. Furthermore, Tamiš, Tisa, Sava, and Danube sediments are under strong anthropogenic influence.
Forests in Europe are currently not endangered by soil erosion. However, this can change with climate change or with intensified forest management practices. Using a newly established network of ...plots in beech forests across Europe, the aims of this study were to (i) distinguish soil properties and erodibility indices in relation to bedrock, (ii) determine geochemical properties and organic carbon (C
org
) influencing erodibility, and (iii) assess the effect of soil depth on erodibility indices. Seventy-six soil samples from 20 beech forests were collected in 11 countries to quantify soil properties influencing erodibility indices: clay ratio, modified clay ratio, sodium adsorption ratio, and oxides ratio. The results indicate that the dominant soil properties, determined by bedrock, that correlate with forest soil erodibility indices are C
org
, pH, electrical conductivity, calcium and sodium ions concentrations, total water-soluble cations, and the percentage of sand. According to the tested indices, soil susceptibility to erosion follows the order granite > andesite > sandstone > quartzite > limestone. Deeper soil horizons on granite are more susceptible to erosion than surface horizons are, but this is not the case for soils on limestones. In conclusion, forest management should consider the predisposition of different soil types to erosion.
Background: The abilities to effectively regulate emotions and establish meaningful interpersonal relationships are considered to be crucial for overall mental health. The current study aimed at ...exploring the relationship between the intrapersonal and interpersonal components of self-differentiation and the feeling of loneliness in offenders with substance use disorders. Method: Participants were 80 male offenders with opiate use disorders hospitalized at the Special Prison Hospital in Belgrade. Data were collected by using self-report Differentiation of Self Inventory and UCLA Loneliness Scale. In analyzing the data, Pearson product-moment correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were employed. Results: As has been hypothesized, results show that loneliness is associated with a lower level of self-differentiation. The most prominent role in loneliness plays emotional cutoff. Since close relationships are interpreted as threatening, defensive emotional distancing protects from further negative, painful relationship experiences, and traumatization, but, as a consequence, leaves a person deprived of meaningful social contacts needed to fulfill the basic need for connectedness. Conclusions: Long-term use of behavioral and emotional defense mechanisms, such as distancing and denial, along with the exaggerated facade of independence and self-sufficiency, often seen in forensic clients seems to conceal chronic feelings of loneliness and longing for meaningful and emotionally fulfilling human contact. Adopting adaptive emotion regulation strategies may be an important mechanism for alleviating loneliness in offenders with substance use disorders, and probably, lead to decreasing the use of substances in an attempt to modulate emotions.
The main objectives of this research were to (i) investigate the concentration; (ii) characterize the distribution; (iii) determine the sources apportionment; (iv) estimate environmental and health ...risks of heavy metals in soil from mountain beech forest. A total of 76 soil samples from 20 pure beech forest stands from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA), Bulgaria (BG), Check Republic (CZ), Germany (DE), Italy (IT), Poland (PL), Romania (RO), Serbia (RS), Slovakia (SK), Slovenia (SL), and Spain (ES) were collected. The content of major elements was measured by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF). The content of heavy metals was measured by inductively coupled plasma–optical emission spectrometry (ICP/OES). Heavy metals had a specific concentration range, which followed in soil samples from depth 0–40 cm the common order (low to high): Hg < Cd < As < Co < Pb < Ni < Cu < Cr < Zn, and from depth 40–80 cm: Hg < Cd < As < Pb < Co < Ni < Cu < Cr < Zn. The grouping of the examined parameters according to rock types, soil types, and localities indicated the separation of carbonate rocks from other substrates, luvisol, and rendzina from other soil types, and samples from BA, SL, and IT from other localities. According to sources apportionment As, Pb and Zn are of anthropogenic origin, Cd, Co, Cr, and Ni are of geogenic origin, while the middle position of Cu and Hg indicates a combined contribution of both sources. Elements Cd and Hg indicated severe to extremely severe enrichment with a mean value of 24.3 and 70.6, respectively. Based on the determined values Ni, Cr, As and Cd do not pose a health risk.
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•Parent material determines the elemental composition in mountain forest soil.•As, Pb, Zn have anthropogenic and Cd, Cr, Co, Ni geogenic origin in forests soils.•Carcinogenic risk of As, Ni and Cr is in the acceptable category.•Human health risk from heavy metals is ingestion > dermal > inhalation.
Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements, but they are regarded as significant environmental pollutants due to their high density and high toxicity even at low concentrations. The aim of this ...paper is the evaluation of the pollution level of heavy metals in the river and riverbank sediments, as well as the estimation of their origin and spatial differences along the course of the Vrbas River through Banja Luka. The concentrations of metals have been assessed using the Inductively coupled plasma ? optical emission spectrometry and Advanced mercury analyzer for mercury determination. The anthropogenic impact on heavy metal concentration in sediments was estimated by the calculating of pollution indices: geoaccumulation index (Igeo), contamination factor (Cf), pollution load index (PLI) and potential ecological risk index (Er). Obtained results indicate that there is no statistically significant spatial difference in metal concentration, indicating that heavy metals in sediments have a constant source. The anthropogenic impact expressed by the values of pollution indices showed that sites are generally uncontaminated by Co, Cr and V and moderately contaminated by Zn, Cu and Ni. On the contrary, lead, mercury and cadmium pose the highest ecological risk. The anthropogenic source of Pb, Hg and Cd is industry, municipal waste and the combustion of fossil fuels. The obtained results demonstrate the high ecological risk and the need for environmental monitoring, with the aim to support an efficient strategy to reduce local pollution and contamination of the investigated system.
Purpose
The Great War Island (GWI) is a landform of exceptional features and a protected area located in the center of Belgrade at the Sava and Danube River’s confluence. The position of GWI causes a ...large number of possible hydrocarbons inputs that influence the quality of both river waters and sediments. The main objective of this research is to assess the distribution and source of hydrocarbons in sediments deposited at the GWI depending on the river’s flow regimes and depositional environment.
Material and methods
Sediment samples were collected from 16 sites (11 sites along the GWI’s coast, 4 sites from the inner of the Island, and 1 specific wetland site). The grain size was determined using a standard wet sieving procedure. The extractable organic matter (OM) was quantified after Soxhlet extraction, and aliphatic and aromatic fractions were isolated by column chromatography.
n
-Alkanes, diterpanes, terpanes, steranes, and 16 PAHs are analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Results and discussion
Sand fraction predominates in coastal samples, and clay size fraction in the samples from the inner island environment. The predominance of odd higher
n
-alkanes indicates the terrestrial origin of OM, while the distribution of lower
n
-alkanes indicates a certain proportion of algae, bacteria, and/or high maturity of OM. The presence of oil-type pollutants is confirmed by thermodynamically stable biomarker isomers and/or the presence of unresolved complex mixture (UCM). Inner island samples are characterized by the largest amount of
C
org
(up 6%), indicating high bioproductivity and good preservation of OM. Samples from wetland environment are distinguished by the domination of pimaranes and phyllocladanes among saturated hydrocarbons.
Conclusions
This study revealed that sediments of the GWI mainly contain native OM with a certain anthropogenic input. The native OM predominately comes from higher terrestrial plants (
Salix alba
,
Populus nigra
,
Fraxinus viridis
,
Taxodium distichum Rich
.), followed by various types of grasses, macrophytes (
Salvinia natans
,
Nymphaea alba
), bacteria, algae, and phytoplankton. Anthropogenic OM originates from petroleum, but also combustion products arrived by deposition from the air and runoff.
Soil erosion is a problem that affects the landscape at different scales and represents a serious challenge for land management and soil conservation in both natural forests and meadows. The aim of ...this study was to determine how the parent material and land use affect the physical and chemical properties of the soil in the area of the Fruska Gora Mountain. The soils were separated into five bedrock types: serpentinite, marl, trachyte, shale, loess and two land use types: forest and meadow. Twenty-three forest soil and 24 meadow soil from a depth of 0?20 cm were sampled from the Fruska Gora Mt. The following properties were determined: pH, electrical conductivity, oxidationreduction potential, content of organic carbon, sodium adsorption ratio, aggregate size and stability. There is no statistically significant difference in pH values, redox potential (Eh), electrical conductivity (EC) and sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) values between the analysed forest and meadow soils, but there is a statistically significant difference in the content of organic carbon (Corg). It can be concluded that both the parent material, and to a slightly less extent, land use have a great influence on physico-chemical properties of the soil.
Key message
This study contributes to increasing the range of tree species studied as bioindicators. This research presents an analysis of 10 macro- and 39 microelements in
Cedrus atlantica
needles.
...The main objective of this study was to analyze the capacity of
Cedrus atlantica
(Endl.) Manetti ex Carrière 1855 to accumulate macro- and microelements in order to assess the environmental status. The element concentrations were measured using X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) analysis. The obtained pH values in this study show that the urban soils are neutral to slightly alkaline with low OM content. Macroelements with the highest mean concentrations in soil are Si, Al, Fe, K, Mg, and Ca. The ratio > 2 was determined for mean concentrations of Ca in the soil and Mg in needles from the Zvezdara forest, and for mean concentrations of Cl, Ti, and Fe in needles from the Byford’s forest in relation to the reference site. The accumulation pattern of the macroelements based on the Biological Concentration Factor (BCF) values > 1 for needles is for P, S, Cl, and Ca. Microelements with the highest mean values in soil are Ba, Zr, Ce, Cr, Zn, Rb, Sr, V, and La. Microelements with the highest mean values in Atlas cedar needles are Ce, La, Ba, and Cs. The ratio > 2 was determined for Cr and V concentrations in the needles from the Byford’s and Zvezdara forests and for Cu concentrations in needles from the Byford’s forest in relation to the reference site. The accumulation pattern of the microelements based on the BCF for needles is higher for I, Cs, Mo, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Sb, and Tl. Since differences in the concentrations of macro- and microelements in the urban areas and the reference site can be identified
C. atlantica
can be recommended for assessing the environmental status.
Conventionally used spectrometric techniques of inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-MS) usually ...involve time-consuming sample preparation procedure of a sample dissolution which requires the usage of aggressive and toxic chemicals. The need for suitable and sustainable analytical methods for direct multi-elemental analysis of plant samples has been increased in recent years. Spectrometric techniques for direct sample analysis, instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) have been applied in environmental studies and various fields of screening tests. Nevertheless, these techniques are not commonly used for plant sample analysis and their performances need to be evaluated. This research aimed to assess how reliable non-destructive techniques are in the determination of elements in plants compared to conventionally used spectrometric techniques. A total of 49 plant samples of four conifer species (Pinus nigra, Abies alba, Taxus baccata and Larix decidua) were measured using two conventionally applied (ICP-MS, ICP-OES) and two non-destructive techniques (wavelength dispersive XRF (WD-XRF), INAA). The comparison was performed by investigation of relative ratios of concentrations and by correlation analysis. Moreover, precision of the techniques was examined and compared. The quality control included analysis of NIST pine needles certified reference material (1575a) using all examined techniques. Our results suggest that additional analytical and quality control steps are necessary for reaching the highest accuracy of multi-elemental analysis.
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