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A long-term survey of heavy metals and specific organic compounds in biofilms, sediments, and surface water in a heavily affected river in the Czech Republic

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Abstract

To assess the long-term anthropogenic load of the Bílina River (Czech Republic), the concentrations of heavy metals and specific organic compounds in different river ecosystem matrices (water, biofilms, and sediments) were determined. Although the current concentrations of pollutants in surface water are low, frequently below the limits of the quantitative analytical methods used, the river ecosystem is still heavily loaded by anthropogenic pollution, mainly from the chemical and mining industries. This was demonstrated by analyzing biofilms and sediments. These matrices are more accurate representatives of the actual situation in the river and do not depend on hydrological conditions or random variability in water quality. The results indicate that the middle and the lower parts of the river are heavily polluted by mercury, arsenic, vanadium, polychlorinated biphenyls, hexachlorobenzene, and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane. As a tributary of the Elbe River, the Bílina River represents a significant risk for the development of quality in this major European river.

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  1. T.G. Masaryk Water Research Institute, Public Research Institution, Podbabská 2582/30, 160 00, Praha 6, Czech Republic

    Kateřina Kohušová, Ladislav Havel & Petr Vlasák

  2. Faculty of Science, Institute of Environmental Studies, Charles University in Prague, Benátská 2, 128 01, Praha 2, Czech Republic

    Kateřina Kohušová & Jaroslav Tonika

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  1. Kateřina Kohušová
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  2. Ladislav Havel
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Correspondence to Kateřina Kohušová.

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Kohušová, K., Havel, L., Vlasák, P. et al. A long-term survey of heavy metals and specific organic compounds in biofilms, sediments, and surface water in a heavily affected river in the Czech Republic. Environ Monit Assess 174, 555–572 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1478-4

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