Heavy metals in rivers of Latvia

• Published in: Science of the total environment Vol. 262; no. 1; pp. 175 - 183
• Main Authors: Klavinš, Maris, Briede, Agrita, Rodinov, Valery, Kokorite, Ilga, Parele, Elga, Klavina, Inta
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier B.V 30-10-2000; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Applied ecology; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Biological and physicochemical properties of pollutants. Interaction in the soil; Continental surface waters; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Ecotoxicology, biological effects of pollution; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Exact sciences and technology; Fresh Water; Fresh water environment; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geologic Sediments; Heavy metals; Latvia; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Mollusca - drug effects; Natural water pollution; Pollution; Pollution, environment geology; Seawater; Sediments; Soil and sediments pollution; Speciation; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution - statistics & numerical data; Water treatment and pollution; Waters; Eastern Europe; Latvia; Europe; ANE, Latvia; Latvia; Sediments; Waters; Heavy metals; Speciation; Benthic organism; Spatial variation; Heavy metal; Freshwater environment; Animal community; Environment impact; Content; Surface water; Stream; Water pollution; Invertebrata; Ecological abundance
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/S0048-9697(00)00597-0

Total heavy metal concentrations in waters and sediments (HNO
3 digestible Pb, Cu, Co, Ni, Mn, Zn) and their speciation forms in sediments (exchangeable, carbonate bound, iron–manganese oxide bound, organic matter bound and residual) in major and common small watercourses (31 sampling stations) along their flow in Latvia were determined. The metal loads entering the Baltic Sea from Latvia were calculated. Increased metal concentrations were found only in lower reaches of the largest rivers and locally around known industrial pollution sources. Differences in metal concentrations and loads in rivers from different regions of Latvia were related to natural geochemical processes. Metal speciation analysis showed that the dominant metal species are residual metals and those bound to organic matter. Residual and carbonate-bound metal dominated only in rhitral regions of rivers. The concentrations of exchangeable metals increased below pollution sources.