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CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE SURFACE LAYER OF BOTTOM SEDIMENTS IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE CHOTT EL JERID PERIODIC LAKE IN TUNISIA

Assist. Prof. Robert Machowski, Assist. Prof. Martyna Anna Rzetala, Assist. Prof. Mariusz Rzetala

Abstract

Situated in the central part of the country, Chott El Jerid is the largest periodic lake in Tunisia. The depression is a flat plain lined with Holocene lacustrine sediments, which mostly developed in the form of alluvia and evaporites. Geochemical properties of sediments were tested using the following methods: FUS-ICP, TD-ICP, INAA, Cold Vapour FIMS. As concerns the basic composition, the following substances were identified (average levels): loss on ignition (LOI) пїЅ 24.27%, SiO2 пїЅ 21.46%, CaO пїЅ 20.54%, Na2O пїЅ 5.23%, Al2O3 пїЅ 4.09%, MgO пїЅ 3.52%, Fe2O3 пїЅ 1.71%, K2O пїЅ 1.47%, TiO2 пїЅ 0.28%, P2O5 пїЅ 0.09%, MnO пїЅ 0.02%. The average sulphur content determined was 8.41%. The average content of trace elements was: 4.0 mg/kg As, 162.0 mg/kg пїЅ Ba, 61.5 mg/kg пїЅ Br, 25.0 mg/kg пїЅ Ce, 7.0 mg/kg пїЅ Co, 27.5 mg/kg пїЅ Cr, 1.25 mg/kg Cs, 8.0 mg/kg пїЅ Cu, 0.55 mg/kg пїЅ Eu, 3.8 mg/kg пїЅ Hf, 13.05 mg/kg пїЅ La, 0.18 mg/kg пїЅ Lu, 2.5 mg/kg Mo, 9.0 mg/kg Nd, 10.0 mg/kg пїЅ Ni, 9.0 mg/kg пїЅ Pb, 55.0 mg/kg Rb, 0.6 mg/kg пїЅ Sb, 3.8 mg/kg пїЅ Sc, 2.15 mg/kg пїЅ Sm, 1616.5 mg/kg пїЅ Sr, 4.1 mg/kg пїЅ Th, 1.45 mg/kg U, 31.0 mg/kg пїЅ V, 11.0 mg/kg пїЅ Y, 1.15 mg/kg пїЅ Yb, 24.5 mg/kg пїЅ Zn, 151.5 mg/kg пїЅ Zr. The content of basic components and concentrations of trace elements are good indicators of the quality of bottom sediments in periodic lakes.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgem2017/11/s01.011

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