Anthropogenic records in a fluvial depositional system: The Odra River along The Czech-Polish border

0541517 - ÚACH 2022 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Faměra, Martin - Matys Grygar, Tomáš - Ciszewski, D. - Czajka, A. - Álvarez-Vázquez, M.A. - Hron, K. - Fačevicová, K. - Hýlová, V. - Tůmová, Štěpánka - Světlík, Ivo - Zimová, K. - Dvořáková, K. - Szypuła, B. - Hošek, Michal - Henych, Jiří
Anthropogenic records in a fluvial depositional system: The Odra River along The Czech-Polish border.
Anthropocene. Roč. 34, JUN (2021), č. článku 100286. ISSN 2213-3054. E-ISSN 2213-3054
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) 8JPL19041; GA ČR(CZ) GA19-01768S; GA MŠMT EF16_019/0000728
Institutional support: RVO:61388980 ; RVO:61389005
Keywords : Anthropogenically influenced floodplain * Enrichment factor * Heavy metal pollution * Principal component analysis * Transboundary pollution
OECD category: Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7); Analytical chemistry (UJF-V)
Impact factor: 3.969, year: 2021
Method of publishing: Open access with time embargo

Industrial revolution induced contamination of lowland rivers and floodplain soils with heavy metals worldwide. This pollution was particularly significant in former coal mining regions where hard coal was utilised in various industrial facilities like coke, iron and steel works. The upper Odra River draining Ostrava Coal District in Czech and Upper Silesia mining region in Poland is an example of such a European river with strong historical pollution followed by modern one originating from heavy industry in times of communistic industrialisation in both countries. In the presented studies we sought 19 and 20 century transboundary contamination of the upper Odra River waters recorded in floodplain soil by the most common potentially toxic elements, i.e. lead and zinc as well as by the presence of magnetic particles (spherules). We expected to reveal the general pattern of the Odra River floodplain soil contamination with risk elements which allow us to differentiate sediments of the industrial and pre-industrial era. We used robust regression and robust principal component analysis, using a log-ratio methodology of compositional data analysis, which is a fast and effective tool in assessing contamination levels. Significant increases in risk element concentrations were found downstream from the Ostrava–Bohumín agglomeration, and in some places they exceed the safety limits for agricultural soils in Poland. A comparison of sediments within and outside of the inter-embankment zone showed no systematic difference in their contamination levels suggesting that the sediments were probably contaminated before dike construction mainly since the half of 19th century.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0319076