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Monitoring and flux determination of trace metals in rivers of the Seversky Donets basin (Ukraine) using DGT passive samplers

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Abstract

This paper reports the results of the in situ application of diffusive gradients in thin-films (DGT) passive samplers for trace metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) monitoring in transboundary Udy and Lopan rivers of the Seversky Donets watershed in the Kharkiv region (Ukraine), which has a long history of industrial development. The research discusses potential sources of DGT-measured labile metals in water and seasonal variations. Our results demonstrate the application of DGT for identifying and measuring labile metal concentrations in contrasted climate conditions (cold snowy winter and hot summer) and appropriateness of such a tool for continuous water monitoring with the presence of an ice cover. Results show that DGT-measured concentrations of most of trace metals were much higher downstream of the wastewater treatment plants discharges than upstream; thus wastewater treatment plants seemed not able to reduce or to remove trace metals’ contaminations and become major sources of pollutants in the studied rivers. The calculation of the average metal fluxes based on the DGT-measured concentrations confirmed that the urban wastewater discharges significantly contribute to the metal fluxes into the Udy and the Lopan rivers during both low-flow and high-flow periods. Compared to the wastewaters inputs to the rivers, the transboundary effect is limited, but should be taken into account as the origin of some metals is from sources located on the adjacent Russian territory.

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Acknowledgments

This research was conducted in the frameworks of the International Collaborative Programme “Partenariat Hubert Curien DNIPRO” (Grant No. 19744VJ 2009/2010) with the financial support from both French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science. Some authors have been granted by the European Union through the ERASMUS MUNDUS External Cooperation Window Programme (Lot 6/7—Belarus, Moldova, and Ukraine). The authors would like to thank Dr. Michel Mench from the Université de Bordeaux (UMR BIOGECO INRA 1202) for valuable comments provided during the manuscript preparation and Aliaksandr Kolbas for technical assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UFR des Sciences de la Terre et de la Mer, Université de Bordeaux, B18, Avenue des Facultés, 33405, Talence, France

    Yuliya Vystavna, Frédéric Huneau & Philippe Le Coustumer

  2. EA 4592 Géoressources et Environnement, Institut EGID, 1 Allée F. Daguin, 33607, Pessac, France

    Yuliya Vystavna, Frédéric Huneau & Philippe Le Coustumer

  3. Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, National Academy of Municipal Economy at Kharkiv, vul. Revolutsii 12, Kharkiv, 61002, Ukraine

    Yuliya Vystavna, Yuri Vergeles & Felix Stolberg

  4. CNRS/INSU Institut des Sciences de la Terre d’Orléans, Université d’Orléans, UMR 6113 ISTO, Campus Géosciences, 1A rue de la Férollerie, 41071, Orléans, France

    Mikael Motelica-Heino

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  1. Yuliya Vystavna
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  2. Frédéric Huneau
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  3. Mikael Motelica-Heino
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  4. Philippe Le Coustumer
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  5. Yuri Vergeles
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Correspondence to Frédéric Huneau.

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Vystavna, Y., Huneau, F., Motelica-Heino, M. et al. Monitoring and flux determination of trace metals in rivers of the Seversky Donets basin (Ukraine) using DGT passive samplers. Environ Earth Sci 65, 1715–1725 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-011-1151-4

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