Storage of sediment‐associated heavy metals along the channelized Odra River, Poland

Abstract

The importance of long-term storage of heavy metals in groyne fields, functioning over 150 years, is investigated for the River Odra (Oder), western Poland. Construction of groynes along the Odra preceded rapid development of heavy industrialization in the largest coal mine districts in Poland and the Czech Republic that resulted in persistent riverine pollution. The 187 km long Middle Odra reach was repeatedly channelized from the first half of the eighteenth century to the turn of the twentieth century, during which time partially filled groyne fields were dissected by new bank lines and groyne systems, with older groyne fields partially keyed into the floodplain. Consequently, concentrations of zinc, lead, cadmium, and copper within historically deposited groyne field sediments exceed local geochemical background levels by more than 60, 40, 15 and 10 times, respectively. Sediments contaminated with heavy metals occur within three distinctive geomorphic zones: zone I is up to 250 m wide and furthest from the present channel, comprising decimeter-thick polluted sediments, overlying eighteenth century sand and gravel bars; zone II represents the former nineteenth century groyne fields, with widths between 10 and 100 m, filled with as much as 3 m of polluted sediments; zone III represents the twentieth century groyne fields, which are several to a dozen metres wide and filled with polluted sediments averaging depths of more than 2 m. This investigation indicates that large and extensive sediment quantities of moderately polluted sediments are stored immediately along the banks of the River Odra. These sediments could be a significant secondary pollution source and therefore careful maintenance of contemporary bank protection structures is required. Figure 6. Location of profiles in the topography of the Odra River floodplain at Olawa, grain-size diameter and losses on ignition of the sediments sampled. Figure 9. Distribution of metal-contaminated sediments in three zones along the middle Odra River (explanation in the text). 1, contaminated sediments; 2, pre-industrial sediments; 3, groynes; 4, height of twentieth century groyne fields at Krapkowice; 5, height of groyne fields and floodplain at Olawa.

Human‐induced sedimentation patterns of a channelized lowland river

“…The upper section of these profiles, which accumulated during the period of the highest river pollution, was generally less polluted with metals, suggesting post‐depositional translocation of these elements. Peaks of metals close to the average water table were observed in other Odra profiles composed of coarse‐grained sands and suggest that metal remobilization is a more widespread phenomenon (Ciszewski and Turner, ). High permeability of such deposits, which favor metal leaching by infiltrating river waters (Ciszewski et al ., ), precludes successful interpretation of vertical trends of metals in these profiles.…”

Recent changes in heavy metal contamination at near-channel positions of the Lahn River, central Germany

“…Given the greater potential impact on human population and the likelihood of high metal concentrations, most research in Germany and surrounding countries has focused on urbanized, industrial, or mined watersheds (e.g., Middelkoop, 2002;Förstner, 2003;Macklin et al, 2006;Schwartz et al, 2006;Wijnhoven et al, 2006;Bábek et al, 2008;Ciszewski and Turner, 2009;Dennis et al, 2009). This body of work documents anthropogenic heavy metal contamination along German rivers such as the Rhine and Elbe.…”

Trace metal storage in recent floodplain sediments along the Dill River, central Germany

“…Frequently, metal concentrations decrease with distance from the former mines, a trend usually attributed to deposition of a majority of metals in close proximity to the mined areas and the addition of cleaner sediments from downstream tributaries. Highly contaminated channel banks and near-channel floodplain sediments have been shown to serve as a source for metal contamination during floods (Leigh, 1994;Schwartz et al, 2006;Ciszewski and Turner, 2009;Wyżga and Ciszewski, 2010;Foulds et al, 2014). Industrial activity can also serve as a source of trace metals, as has been documented in western Europe along rivers such as the Rhine (Dehner, 1994;Middelkoop, 2002;Wijnhoven et al, 2006) and Elbe (Förstner, 2003, Krüger andGröngröft, 2003;Schulz-Zunkel et al, 2013;Zachmann et al, 2013).…”