title: Assessment of the contamination of riparian soil and vegetation by trace metals--A Danube River case study.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the spatial distribution of arsenic and heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu Hg, Ni, Pb and Zn) in a riparian area influenced by periodical flooding along a considerable stretch of the Danube River. This screening was undertaken on soil and plant samples collected from 43 sites along 2386 km of the river, collected during the international Joint Danube Survey 3 expedition (ICPDR, 2015). In addition, data on the concentration of these elements in river sediment was used in order to describe the relationship between sediment, riparian soil and riparian plants. A significant positive correlation (Spearman r, for p<0.05) was found for trace metal concentrations in river sediment and soil (r=0.817). A significant correlation between soil and plants (r=0.438) and sediment and plants (r=0.412) was also found for trace metal concentrations. Elevated levels of Cd, Cr, Cu, and Ni were found at certain sites along the Serbian stretch, while elevated concentrations of Hg were also detected in Hungary, of Pb along the Romanian stretch and of As along the Bulgarian stretch (the Lower Danube). These results point to the presence of naturally-occurring metals derived from ore deposits in the Danube River Basin and anthropogenic metals, released by mining and processing of metal ores and other industrial facilities, which are responsible for the entry of metals such as Cu, Ni and Zn. Our results also indicated toxic Cd and Zn levels in plant samples, measured at the Hercegsznato site (Middle Danube, Hungary), which highlighted these elements as a potential limiting factor for riparian vegetation in that area. The distribution of the analysed elements in plant material also indicates the species-specific accumulation of trace metals. Based on our results, the Lower and Middle Danube were found to be more polluted in terms of the analysed elements.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' University of Belgrade, Bul. Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: ppavle@ibiss.bg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pavlović
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' University of Belgrade, Bul. Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mitrović
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Njegoševa 12, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Đorđević
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Njegoševa 12, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakan
authors.affiliation: Environmental Institute, Okruzna 784/42, 972 41 Kos, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Slobodnik
authors.affiliation: ICPDR Secretariat at UN Office Vienna, Wagramer str. 5, A-1220 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Liška
authors.affiliation: MTA (Hung. Acad. Sci.) Centre for Ecological Research, Danube Research Institute, Jávorka Sándor u. 14, Göd H-2131, Hungary.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Csanyi
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' University of Belgrade, Bul. Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jarić
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' University of Belgrade, Bul. Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kostić
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' University of Belgrade, Bul. Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pavlović
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Njegoševa 12, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Marinković
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' University of Belgrade, Bul. Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tubić
authors.affiliation: Institute for Biological Research 'Siniša Stanković' University of Belgrade, Bul. Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paunović
mesh_terms: D002031:Bulgaria; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006814:Hungary; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D055771:Serbia; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Danube River; Riparian soil; Riparian vegetation; Trace metal pollution