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The Science of the total environment
Jun 01, 2024;927 172250.

Geochemistry and origin of inorganic contaminants in soil, river sediment and surface water in a heavily urbanized river basin.

Zacharenia Kypritidou, Efstratios Kelepertzis, Ioannis Kritikos, Emanuela Kapaj, Iro Skoulika, Marios Kostakis, Emmanuel Vassilakis, Sotirios Karavoltsos, Pascal Boeckx, Ioannis Matiatos
Author Information
  1. Zacharenia Kypritidou: Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zographou, 15784 Athens, Greece.
  2. Efstratios Kelepertzis: Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zographou, 15784 Athens, Greece. Electronic address: kelepert@geol.uoa.gr.
  3. Ioannis Kritikos: Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zographou, 15784 Athens, Greece.
  4. Emanuela Kapaj: Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zographou, 15784 Athens, Greece.
  5. Iro Skoulika: Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zographou, 15784 Athens, Greece.
  6. Marios Kostakis: Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zographou, 157 84 Athens, Greece.
  7. Emmanuel Vassilakis: Department of Geology and Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zographou, 15784 Athens, Greece.
  8. Sotirios Karavoltsos: Department of Chemistry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, Zographou, 157 84 Athens, Greece.
  9. Pascal Boeckx: Isotope Bioscience Laboratory-ISOFYS, Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Ghent University, Belgium.
  10. Ioannis Matiatos: Hellenic Centre for Marine Research, Institute of Marine Biological Resources and Inland Waters, 46.7 km of Athens-Sounio Ave., 19013 Anavissos, Attikis, Greece.
PMID: 38599404 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172250

Abstract

Understanding the geochemistry and contamination of rivers affected by anthropogenic activities is paramount to water resources management. The Asopos river basin in central Greece is facing environmental quality deterioration threats due to industrial, urban and agricultural activities. Here, the geochemistry of river sediments and adjacent soil in terms of major and trace elements (Al, Ca, Mg, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) and the geochemical composition of surface water in terms of major ions, trace elements and nutrients along the Asopos river basin were determined. In addition, this study characterized potential nitrate sources through the analysis of stable isotope composition of NO (δΝ-ΝΟ and δΟ-ΝΟ). Results indicated that specific chemical constituents including nutrients (NO, NH, PO) and major ions (Na, Cl) were highest in the urban, industrialized and downstream areas. On the other hand, nitrate (NO) concentration in river water (median 7.9 mg/L) showed a decreasing trend from the upstream agricultural sites to the urban area and even more in the downstream of the urban area sites. Ionic ratios (NO/Cl) and δΝ-ΝΟ values (range from +10.2 ‰ to +15.7 ‰), complemented with a Bayesian isotope mixing model, clearly showed the influence of organic wastes from septic systems and industries operating in the urban area on river nitrate geochemistry. The interpretation of geochemical data of soil and river sediment samples demonstrated the strong influence of local geology on Cr, Fe, Mn and Ni content, with isolated samples showing elevated concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, mostly within the industrialized urban environment. The calculation of enrichment factors based on the national background concentrations provided limited insights into the origin of geogenic metals. Overall, this study highlighted the need for a more holistic approach to assess the impact of the geological background and anthropogenic activities on river waters and sediments.

Keywords

Environmental contamination Hydrogeochemistry Industrial activities Nitrate isotopes Water pollution
Journal Article

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