In my bachelor’s degree thesis I studied heavy metal contamination of sediment in the local stream Drtijščica. For evaluation of content of heavy metals, the samples were appropriately prepared and analysed with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). This analytic technique enables simultaneous evaluation of multiple elements in the sample with high precision. The following heavy metals were analysed: As, Cu, Zn, Cd, Co, Cr, Mo, Ni, Pb. Additionally, sediment pH value and temperature were measured at the time of sampling. Six sampling points were chosen. Samples were collected two times. First ones were collected in February 2020 and second ones in March 2021. ICP-OES machine was calibrated using multi standard solution Merck VI (MS6) before the analysis. During laboratory work personal protective equipment was used.
The results from the analysis showed elevated average pH value of the second sampling. Limit values of As and Cd were exceeded on two sampling points. Limit values of all other heavy metals were not exceeded. The presence of elevated concentrations of heavy metals serves as an indicator of anthropogenic influence on the stream ecosystem and the risks it brings for human health and safety.
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