Chemical characterization of freshwater sediments in central Italy: a tool to discriminate between anthropogenic pollution and natural geogenic sources

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Kemijska karakterizacija slatkovodnih sedimenata u središnjoj Italiji: alat za razlikovanje antropogenih i prirodnih izvora onečišćenja
• Author: Bernarda Damianić
• Mentor: Ana Lončarić Božić (mentor)
• Committee member: Ana Lončarić Božić (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Hrvoje Kušić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Tomislav Bolanča (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2016-09-29, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: TECHNICAL SCIENCES; Chemical Engineering; Environmental Protection in Chemical Engineering

Abstract

Sediments in rivers represent tanks of contaminants and one class of the most harmful pollutants are heavy metals because of their toxicity, bioaccumulation, persistence and the impact on the ecosystem and the human body. Heavy metals are released into the environment from natural sources and anthropogenic activities like industrial processes, traffic, agricultural activities and sewerage system etc. The aim of the present Thesis work has been to determine chemical parameters (i.e. heavy metal concentrations) in the Nestore River Basin and to distinguish the impact of natural sources from that of anthropogenic activities. The Nestore River basin in Umbria, Central Italy shows an admirable example of heavy metal pollution in space and time. Concentrations of metals in sediments are tracked during the four seasons in the year 2010 in ten different sampling locations. The choice of the sites has been made on the basis of previously made biological investigation. For example, station 1 (The Nestore River), station 9 (The Fersinone River) and station 10 (The Calvana River) are shown like ecologically uncontaminated are their values were taken as the reference values in calculations. Samples have been treated with a microwave acid digestion and heavy metal concentrations have been obtained with Inductively Coupled Plasma - Atomic Emission Spectroscopy. The values of metal concentrations have been then discussed with a statistical analysis, which included total average values seasonal trends, enrichment factor, Principal Component Analysis. In order to discriminate between natural and anthropogenic sources it has been possible to calculate baseline concentration which is defined as the 95% of the predicted ranges of metal concentration toward an average in a normal sample. This estimate represents a natural content of heavy metals without human impact and points the information about naturally present metals in a specific region.

Abstract (croatian)

Sedimenti u rijekama predstavljaju spremnike onečišćivala, a jedna su od klasa najštetnijih onečiščivala teški metali zbog svoje toksičnosti, bioakumulacije, postojanosti te utjecaja na ekosustav i ljudski organizam. Teški metali u okoliš dospijevaju iz prirodnih izvora i antropogenih aktivnosti poput industrijskih procesa, prometa, agrikulturalnih aktivnosti, kanalizacije i sl. Cilj ovog rada bio je odrediti kemijske parametre (u ovom radu koncentracije teških metala), u porječju rijeke Nestore te razlikovati utjecaj prirodnih izvora od utjecaja antropogenih aktivnosti. Kao zanimljiv primjer promjene koncentracije metala u vremenu i prostoru pokazalo se porječje rijeke Nestore u pokrajini Umbria u srednjoj Italiji. Koncentracije metala u sedimentima su praćene za vrijeme četiri godišnja doba tijekom 2010. godine na deset različitih lokacija. Izbor stanica napravljen je na temelju prehodnog biološkog istraživanja. Npr. stanice 1 (rijeka Nestore), stanica 9 (rijeka Fersinone) i stanica 10 (rijeka Calvana) su se pokazale kao ekološki nekontaminirane te su njihove vrijednosti uzete kao referentne pri proračunima. Uzorci su tretirani kiselom mikrovalnom digestijom, a koncentracije teških metala su određene metodom induktivno spregnute plazme - atomske emisijske spektroskopije (ICP-AES). Vrijednosti koncentracija metala podvrgnute su statističkoj analizi koja je uključila ukupne prosječne vrijednosti, sezonske vrijednosti, faktor obogaćenja i analizu Metodom glavnih komponenata (Principal Component Analysis). Kako bi se odredila razlika između prirodnih i antropogenih izvora, moguće je izračunati prirodnu koncentraciju koja se definira kao 95% predviđenih raspona koncentracije prema prosjeku u normalnom uzorku. Predstavlja prirodan sadržaj teških metala bez ljudskih utjecaja te ukazuje na informacije o prirodno prisutnim koncentracijama metala u pojedinoj regiji.

• Keywords: river sediments; heavy metals; anthropogenic pollution; ICP-AES; baseline; the Nestore River
• Keywords (croatian): riječni sedimenti; teški metali; antropogeno onečišćenje; induktivno spregnuta plazma - atomska emisijska spektroskopija; prirodna koncentracija; rijeka Nestore
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:149:645254
• Study programme: Title: Chemical Engineering - Graduate study; Study programme type: university; Study level: graduate; Academic / professional title: magistar/magistra inženjer/inženjerka kemijskog inženjerstva (magistar/magistra inženjer/inženjerka kemijskog inženjerstva)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Public note: Rad je napisan na engleskom jeziku, ali u radu nedostaje stvarni naslov rada na engleskom jeziku koji glasi: Chemical characterization of freshwater sediments in central Italy: a tool to discriminate between anthropogenic pollution and natural geogenic sources (preuzeto iz ISVU-a).
• Repository: Repository of Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology University of Zagreb
• Created on: 2017-11-24 08:27:58