Progress of Cryogenics and Isotopes Separation , ISSN: 1582-2575
2014, Volume 17, Issue 2

The Application of Pollution Indexes in the Assessment of Heavy Metal Pollution in Sediments

Mihaela Iordache 1 , Luisa Roxana Popescu 1,2 , Ioan Iordache 3*

1 National Research and Development Institute for Industrial Ecology – INCD-ECOIND Bucharest-Subsidiary Ramnicu Valcea, 1 Uzinei Street, Ramnicu Valcea 240050, Romania
2 Politehnica University of Bucharest, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, 1-7 Polizu Str., 011061, Bucharest, Romania
3 National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenics and Isotopic Technologies - ICSI Rm. Valcea, Uzinei Street no. 4, PO Box Râureni 7, 240050, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania

*Corresponding author: Ioan Iordache, E-mail: Iordache.Ioan @icsi.ro

Published: October 2014


Abstract

The aim of this paper is to assess the heavy metal pollution in sediments of the Olt River, upstream and downstream of industrial platform Ramnicu Valcea. The sediment samples were collected from the Olt River, in four locations during 2011-2014. Contamination factors (CF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo), degree contamination (CH), modified degree contamination (mCH), pollution load index (PLI), Nemerow pollution index (PI), potential ecological risk (RI), were used to evaluate the quality of the Olt River sediments. In sediments from the Olt River there was generally observed a decrease in contamination with heavy metals during investigated period. In the points located upstream the industrial platform (AM-PO and PO) was found a moderate contamination with Ni, Cd  and Cu, with Pb in point AM-PO, with Zn in point PO. In the point AM-PO was found from a moderate contamination at a significantly contamination with Hg (June 2013 and May 2014). In the points located upstream the industrial platform was found a level of pollution "heavily polluted", in May 2011, June 2013 and May 2014 for AM-PO point and May 2011 and May 2014 for PO point.


Keywords

Heavy metals, sediment, pollution index.


Tag search Heavy metals sediment pollution index