Presence of metals even at trace levels in natural waters pose sever health risks. Heavy metals are introduced to coastal and marine environments through a variety of sources and activities including sewage and industrial effluents where Black Sea is not different. However, metals behave differently...

In recent years children’s head hair is a biomarker frequently used for monitoring environmental exposure to heavy metals. Blood, plasma, urine and other tissues analysis were the most popular approaches to evaluate the concentrations of trace elements in human body. However, hair sample is easily...

The Douro River lower basin water quality was studied regarding its concentration on 18 trace elements (Be, Al, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Ba, Tl, Pb and U, measured by ICP-MS). Other physicochemical parameters, such as pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen and water temperature...

The present paper aims at a treatment technique designed for special industrial wastewaters contaminated with only traces of halogenated organic compounds (HOCs) – concentrations which are nevertheless large enough to make a discharge into municipal sewage works impossible. Our research follows the...

We have carried out a geochemical study on the behaviour of certain trace elements during the evaporative concentration of free brines (salinity from 41 to 400 ‰) of the solar salt works of Sfax saline (S.E of Tunisia). The elements concerned by this survey are Zinc, Cadmium, Manganese, Molybdenum...

Pollutants posing health risks to human health and to the aquatic environment often occur in drinking and surface waters, as a result of disinfection practices, agricultural and industrial activities, wastewater discharges. Toxic pollutants belong to different chemical categories, including...

The Gulf of Astakos is a very important embayment of the Ionian Sea, as it offers an ideal environment for extensive aquacultures with tourism, agriculture and commercial activities. In view of the need for sustainable development of the region, the state of the gulf's quality was assessed on the...

A main problem related to coal ash disposal is the heavy metal content of the residue. In this regard, experimental results of numerous studies have indicated that toxic trace metals may leach when fly ash and bottom ash contacts with water. In this study, fly ash and bottom ash samples obtained...

The procedure for the reliable determination of Be in natural waters by ETAAS was elaborated. Various modifiers (EDTA, Ca(NO3)2, Mg(NO3)2, Pd(NO3)2 and the mixture of Pd(NO3)2 and Mg(NO3)2) for the determination of beryllium was examined. The applicability of the selected Mg(NO3)2 as the appropriate...

Coals contain elements which, although usually found in concentrations lower than 1% (trace elements), can give rise to environmental or technological problems. After gasification most of these elements may occur in gas phase in different proportions. In order to avoid the problems that the presence...

In coastal marine environments, with shallow, warm and calm waters, it is sometimes possible to observe the presence of organosedimentary structures that are commonly flat and laminar in shape. These structures are called algal mats or recent stromatolites due to their remarkable similarities to...

Metal pollution can have adverse effects on human health but also on environment. Usually, risk is assessed on the basis of the total concentration of a trace metal in soils and sediments. Nevertheless, for checking the short and long-term true environmental impact of a trace element, one of the...