Using neutron activation to assess heavy metal pollution in water and sediment along Savannah River

Abstract

A comprehensive study was conducted to assess heavy elemental pollution in the Savannah River, which flows through diverse landscapes encompassing agricultural, industrial, and commercial zones in South Carolina and Georgia. The investigation focused on the impacts of various anthropogenic activities on the river, potentially harming human health and aquatic ecosystems. Thirty samples, collected from the beginning of the Savannah River at Lake Hartwell to the Savannah River estuary near the Atlantic Ocean, were analyzed using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. In regions of intense industrial activities, water samples exhibited elevated concentrations of elements such as Al (0.04-1.99 mg/L), Mg (0.4-5.5 mg/L), Ba (0.08-2.8 mg/L), Zn (0.017-0.9 mg/L), Cr (0.005-1.5 mg/L), and Fe (2.8-110.13 mg/L). Similarly, sediment samples near industrial areas also exhibited enhanced concentrations of heavy elements like Cr, Zr, Rb, Co, Zn, Mg, Mn, and Al. The outcome of this study has identified a spatial trend along the Savannah River, revealing major elements responsible for pollution that could disrupt the ecological environment and potentially impact human health.