Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2NPs) are widely produced and used NPs in different applications. To evaluate the risk from anthropogenic TiO2NPs, more information is needed on their occurrence in ...the environment. For the first time, this study reports the levels of TiO2NPs in waters and sediments at selected sampling sites along the Sava River using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in single particle mode (spICP-MS). The highest concentrations of TiO2NPs were determined in river water at Vrhovo (VRH), Jasenovac (JAS), and Slavonski Brod (SLB) sampling locations impacted by urban, agricultural, and/or industrial activities, suggesting that these NPs are likely of anthropogenic origin. The results further showed that hydrological conditions and sediment composition significantly influence the levels of TiO2NPs in river water at most locations. Moreover, the Ti/Al elemental concentration ratios of NPs in water and sediments at JAS were higher than the natural background ratios, further confirming their anthropogenic origin. The outcome of this study provides first information on the presence of (anthropogenic) TiO2NPs in different environmental compartments of the Sava River, contributing to more reliable risk assessments and better regulation of TiO2NPs emissions in the future.
Rad donosi, u obliku kartografskih priloga, rezultate geoinformacijske rekonstrukcije toka rijeke Save na širem području grada Zagreba u 18. i 19. stoljeću na temelju karata Habsburške Monarhije. U ...komparaciji dobivenih rezultata s današnjim stanjem sagledavaju se prirodne (nastale usred hidrografskih i morfoloških djelovanja rijeke) i antropogene promjene toka rijeke Save. Izdvojeno je osam primjera koji oslikavaju te promjene - bilo da je riječ o onima danas jasno vidljivima (na primjeru položaja prometnica i naselja) bilo onima, danas skrivenima, koje je urbanistički razvoj Zagreba (prije svega prema južnoj obali rijeke) »progutao« u većoj ili manjoj mjeri.
This paper analyses the way in which Pleistocene climate change and glaciations in Dinaric Mountains was reflected in the deposition of alluvial sediments in the Sava river Valley, using a case study ...of Belgrade Groundwater Source (BGS), the largest and most downstream alluvial water supply source along the Sava river. A stratigraphic analysis of the Quaternary sediments from two boreholes on this site, based on sediment dating, lithological members identification, grain size distribution analysis was performed. Comparison with the results of dating of the moraines and glacial outwash, the remnants of glaciations in Dinaric mountains of Montenegro, by Hughes et al. and Adamson et al. showed a good match, as the dating of the last four sedimentation cycles yielded the 13.2 ka (start of MIS1), 80.9 ka (MIS 5a), 137.5 (end of MIS6 or start of MIS5) and 193.4 ka (MIS 7) ages, corresponding to MIS1, MIS 5a, end of MIS6 and start of MIS5, and MIS7 stages for glacial outwash, and to MIS2, MIS5b and MIS5d, end of MIS6 and start of MIS5, and MIS8 stages for the moraines. The ages of older cycles were presented as a hypothesis based on aforementioned succession of ages.
Quaternary deposits on the banks of the Sava River in the Belgrade area have
a significant thickness and they are represented by genetically different
formations. The data about these sediments were ...obtained by exploration of
two relatively shallow boreholes, RB 47/P-1 and RB 53/P-1, located on the
left bank of the Sava River. Two genetic entities are distinguished: the
lacustrine-palustrine deposits of Plio-Pleistocene age and alluvial deposits
of Pleistocene and Holocene age. Deposits of the Plio-Pleistocene are
clearly different, both lithologically and palaeontologically, from the
overlying alluvial deposits. Lithologically similar fluvial deposits of the
Pleistocene and Holocene age were distinguished according to their
palaeontological characteristics, particulary by the presence of bivalve
genera Corbicula and Dreissena.
U članku je na temelju arhivske građe, tiska i relevantne literature analiziran
proces smjene brodskog gradonačelnika Slavka Vrgoča, koji je trajao kroz čitavu
1942. godinu, a u sukobe su bili ...uključeni najvažniji akteri tadašnje brodske
političke, društvene i ekonomske scene. Uz često osobne animozitete i borbu za
vlast, u spomenutim su događajima vidljivi i elementi sukoba nove, ustaške,
elite u nastajanju, i stare predratne elite koja kroz svoju ekonomsku moć i
međusobnu umreženost nastoji očuvati ili čak proširiti svoj utjecaj.
On the basis of unpublished archival materials, publications of the time
and relevant literature, this paper endeavours to reconstruct and analyse the process of the dismissal of Slavko Vrgoč, the mayor of Brod,
as well as the appointment of a new city government. As there were no elections at any level, the city governments were dependent on the appointments of higher authorities. Although they were formally supposed
to be formed on the basis of the arrangement of various actors (the county or Velika župa, the Ustasha movement, Croatian Labour Union), in reality they had to rely on informal relations and influences of individuals or groups. After the establishment of the new government in 1941, Vrgoč became the mayor of Brod and Ustasha quartermaster, and thus
the considerable prerogatives of civil and Ustasha government branches were combined in one person. Even at that time several groups of the same ideological spectrum, which aspired to key positions, appeared; the
reactions to the aforementioned conflicts became apparent later when some of the players turned out to be Vrgoč’s opponents. Vrgoč’s dismissal from the position of Ustasha quartermaster in Summer 1942 and from the mayorship in December of the same year, were the result of month-long political conflicts between a few stakeholders and individuals from various institutions or organizations that are an excellent example of the heterogeneity of the people from lower classes who actively or passively supported the NDH regime. Apart from the personal animosities of some of the players and the struggle for power, the aforementioned process showed the conflict between the new, Ustasha,
elite in the process of being formed, with its tendency to grab power, and the parts of the new, pre-war, elite, which joined the new regime. Through the control of various institutions, its economic power and earlier networks endeavoured to secure its positions and increase its influence, primarily through the “nationalisation of the economy”. Exactly this struggle for expropriated Jewish possessions was one of the
reasons for the conflict between Mayor Vrgoč and a group of influential
economists from Brod united in the Hrvatski radiša organisation who formally administered the expropriated possessions. The conflict ended with the dismissal of the compromised Vrgoč and the appointment of Dr Josip Koprivčević, a lawyer and historian, as mayor; until his appointment, he had neither been engaged in politics nor had he been a member of the Ustasha movement. This paper is not only a contribution to the history of Slavonski Brod in the period of the NDH, but also provides corrections of certain inaccuracies and erroneous interpretations apparent in the current literature. In a wider context, this article discusses one aspect of the
activities of the Ustasha regime and describes various political conflicts, power struggles as well as frequent usurpations and misuse within the regime on the local level.
Purpose
Rare earth elements (REE) are generally considered immobile and therefore suitable as provenance proxies. In the fluvial environment, however, several non-provenance factors may affect their ...content and obscure the accurate identification of sediment sources. This study, therefore, focuses on separating the lithological signal from the influence of anthropogenic activity and hydrodynamic sorting on REE geochemistry of fine-grained sediments. The study area comprises the upper catchment of the Sava River, the largest Danube tributary.
Materials and methods
The samples were characterised with respect to their mineralogical, granulometric and geochemical composition. The main factors governing the REE distribution were unravelled by the combined use of statistics (multidimensional scaling — MDS) and element ratios.
Results and discussion
Mineralogical analysis showed the dominance of carbonates in the upper reaches, while detritus, rich in aluminosilicates and quartz, predominated in other parts of the basin. Concentrations of REE ranged from 28.6 to 197 mg kg
−1
in the Sava River and from 77.6 to 236 mg kg
−1
in tributaries. Grain size changes due to hydrodynamic sorting influenced REE content more than lithology in the Sava River. Tributaries were more affected by the interaction between source lithology and anthropogenic activities, of which agriculture was the most important. Elemental ratios REE/Al and P/Al were found to be well-suited to estimate the influence of P-fertiliser on REE content.
Conclusions
This paper points out the need for detailed studies of the geochemical composition of REE in fluvial sediments and careful consideration of the influence of hydrodynamic sorting and anthropogenic activity when REE geochemistry is used as a provenance tool.
The use of trees to immobilise potentially toxic elements (PTEs) is a low-cost and effective method of soil remediation. Thus, the objective of this study was to assess the content of total and ...bioavailable As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in soil samples, as well as their levels in the roots and leaves of elm (
Ulmus glabra
Huds.) in order to evaluate its potential for the phytostabilisation of PTEs in the riparian zone of the Sava River. Analysis of soils showed that the availability of PTEs ranged from low to medium, while the pollution load index (PLI) and potential ecological risk index (RI) showed that the examined soil fell into the category of uncontaminated to moderately contaminated, as well as into the category of low risk of PTEs contamination. However, the levels of Cr, Cu and Ni in soils were above the critical range for plants. The content of As and Cr measured in roots and leaves was in the toxic range for plants, while the content of Cd and Ni was elevated but not in the toxic range. Bioaccumulation (BCF) and translocation (TF) factors indicated that
U. glabra
is suitable for the phytostabilisation of As, Cu, Cr, Ni and Pb. Additionally, this species displayed the ability to transport most of the acquired Cu and Zn to the leaves. Correlation analysis showed that PTE content in
U. glabra
roots was significantly positively correlated to their respective levels in soil (total and DTPA-extractable), except for Cu, indicating that PTE levels in soil strongly influence those in plants. This research into a successful phytoremediating species provides new possibilities when selecting PTE-tolerant native trees in riparian zones of large regional rivers such as the Sava.
The Zagreb aquifer is the main source of potable water for the inhabitants of the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County. It presents a strategic water reserve protected by the Republic of Croatia. All ...previous studies related to the definition of the groundwater–surface interaction in the study area have been made based on the isotopic composition of the Sava River from the location of the Domovinski Most bridge, which is located downstream of most pumping well fields. In 2019, a new monitoring station was established at the Podsusedski Most bridge, at the entrance of the Sava River into the Zagreb aquifer, approximately 23 km upstream of the Domovinski Most bridge. Within this research, water isotope data (δ2H, δ18O, deuterium excess) from both Sava River and groundwater sites were used along with hydrologic data to examine the extent to which hydrologic conditions affect the isotope signature and whether the interaction between groundwater and the Sava River causes a change in the isotopic composition of the Sava River. In addition, δ18O amplitudes were estimated for different time periods, as well as the mean residence time for the hydrological year 2019/2020. For that purpose, different statistical methods were applied to the new monthly data for six years for the Domovinski Most bridge and two years for the Podsusedski Most bridge. The δ18O amplitudes vary from 0.22 to 1.86 depending on the time interval and hydrological conditions, while the mean residence time for the hydrological year 2019/2020 was estimated to be about 2.5 months.
The main purpose of this study was to understand the interactions between precipitation, surface water, and groundwater in the Zagreb aquifer system using water stable isotopes. The Zagreb aquifer is ...of the unconfined type and strongly hydraulically connected to the Sava River. As the groundwater is the main source of drinking water for one million inhabitants, it is essential to investigate each detail of the recharge processes of the aquifer to ensure adequate protection of the groundwater. Measuring the content of water stable isotopes in surface waters and groundwater enabled the creation of two- and three-component mixing models based on the isotopic mass balance for the purpose of the quantification of each recharge component. The mixing models gave ambiguous results. Observation wells equally distant from the Sava River did not have the same recharge component ratio. This indicated that there were more factors (in addition to the distance from the river) that were affecting groundwater recharge, and the properties of the unsaturated zone and surface cover data were therefore also taken into consideration. The thickness of the unsaturated zone and the characteristics of different soil types were identified as important factors in the recharge of the Zagreb aquifer. The areas with high thickness of the unsaturated zone and well-permeable soil had a very similar recharge component ratio to the areas with small thickness of the unsaturated zone but low-permeable soil.
The general status of lampreys (family Petromyzontidae) in Bosnia and Herzegovina was reviewed to determine the species composition and geographical distribution of this group in the region. This ...paper reviews the available literature to provide a critical analysis of the current status of lamprey species. According to the available data, their status can be considered as indeterminate, largely due to limited published records. While eight species are recorded as present in the region (Eudontomyzon danfordi, E. mariae, E. vladykovi, Lampetra fluviatilis, L. planeri, L. soljani, Lethenteron zanandreai, Petromyzon marinus), only three species (E. vladykovi, L. soljani, P. marinus) are confirmed to occur. Their distribution is recorded in waters of both the Danube and the Adriatic Sea catchments. Given the deficiencies in our understanding of the taxonomic status of some populations and knowledge of the geographical distribution of lampreys inhabiting both catchments, research focused on improving understanding of the phylogenetic, morphological and phenotypic traits of lampreys in Bosnia and Herzegovina is warranted to resolve these uncertainties. Problems related to threats and conservation, and future perspectives for protective management strategies are discussed. This paper provides the context for future biodiversity conservation and management with regard to lamprey species in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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