Scholarly record

MAPPING LEAD CONTAMINATION IN THE DRAINAGE NETWORK OF THE PANENSKY CREEK (THE CZECH REPUBLIC)

Štěpánka Tůmová

Abstract

The Panensk? Creek has been impacted by Pb pollution from local factories in the period of little environmental concern, which has not yet been documented completely in state registry of environmental risks in the Czech Republic. A lead-glass processing factory in Jablonn? v Podje?t?d? was one of the main industrial Pb pollution sources in the Panensk? Creek catchment. It was in operation in 1955-2002. To localize the original and still active pollution source in this area, we used geographical information systems (GIS) and compared historical maps from 19th century, aerial photographs from 1938 to 2017, and digital terrain model DMR 5G; the resulting dataset was analysed in ArcGIS Desktop 10.3.1 software. Then we sampled (1) floodplain sediments using 1 m deep drill-cored profiles and (2) stream sediments taken manually from the top of the channel bottom. The sediment samples were dried and milled to fine powder and analysed using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry; results were evaluated as concentration ratio of Pb/Fe and compared with average composition of the Earth upper continental crust (UCC) to assess pollution levels. The floodplain sediments were contaminated by Pb to the maximum of 400 times higher than in UCC, in case of stream sediments the concentrations of Pb were up to 70 times UCC. Due to high concentrations of Pb in the channel bottom of the Panensk? Creek, the lead-glass processing factory seems to be a persistent source of contamination by Pb. Geochemical mapping and evaluation of pollution extent should have been performed before revitalization in the studied area.

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