The decline of tufa deposition in an alkaline fen ecosystem in East-Central Europe and its impact on biotic assemblages: Insights from monitoring and paleoecological data.

Protection and restoration of the CaCO depositing alkaline fens require an in-depth understanding of these unique and declining ecosystems. The present study investigates the development of the formerly heavy tufa depositing alkaline fen in East-Central Europe after CaCO precipitation markedly declined ca. 5400 cal yr BP.

Causes of variations of trace and rare earth elements concentration in lakes bottom sediments in the Bory Tucholskie National Park, Poland.

The objective of this study was to analyse spatial variability of the trace elements (TEs) and rare earth elements (REEs) concentration in lake bottom sediments in Bory Tucholskie National Park (BTNP); Poland. The following research questions were posed: which factors have a fundamental impact on the concentration and spatial variability of elements in bottom sediments, which of the elements can be considered as indicators of natural processes and which are related to anthropogenic sources. The research material was sediments samples collected from 19 lakes.

The Release of Antimony from Mine Dump Soils in the Presence and Absence of Forest Litter.

This study examined the changes in antimony (Sb) solubility in soils, using organic matter introduced with forest litter, in various moisture conditions. Soils containing 12.8⁻163 mg/kg Sb were taken from the top layers of dumps in former mining sites in the Sudetes, South-West Poland.

Tracking heavy metal contamination in a complex river-oxbow lake system: Middle Odra Valley, Germany/Poland.

Oxbow lakes have received much attention in recent years due to their ecological importance and vulnerability for contamination. Sediment cores collected from the floor of oxbow lakes indicate the increasing contamination of lakes with heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr) over the last fifty years, owing to the development of transport and industry. Little is known, however, about how various factors can enhance or impede the migration of metallic contaminants between the pollution source and lake ecosystems.

Application of multivariate statistical approach to identify trace elements sources in surface waters: a case study of Kowalskie and Stare Miasto reservoirs, Poland.

The paper reports the results of measurements of trace elements concentrations in surface water samples collected at the lowland retention reservoirs of Stare Miasto and Kowalskie (Poland). The samples were collected once a month from October 2011 to November 2012. Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, V, and Zn were determined in water samples using the inductively coupled plasma with mass detection (ICP-QQQ).

Environmental factors affecting soil metals near outlet roads in Poznań, Poland: impact of grain size, soil depth, and wind dispersal.

We determined the Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations in soil samples collected along the eight main outlet roads of Poznań. Samples were collected at distances of 1, 5, and 10 m from the roadway edges at depth intervals of 0-20 and 40-60 cm. The metal content was determined in seven grain size fractions.

Sr isotope tracing of multiple water sources in a complex river system, Noteć River, central Poland.

Anthropogenic impact on surface waters and other elements in the environment was investigated in the Noteć River basin in central Poland. The approach was to trace changes in the Sr isotope composition ((87)Sr/(86)Sr) and concentration in space and time. Systematic sampling of the river water shows a very wide range of (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios, from 0.

Thallium in fractions of sediments formed during the 2004 tsunami in Thailand.

Thallium is a highly toxic element. Its concentration in sediment fractions from the 2004 tsunami in Thailand was investigated. A modified BCR procedure was used for sequential extraction.

Heavy metals: their pathway from the ground, groundwater and springs to Lake Góreckie (Poland).

The migration pathways of heavy metals derived from an area previously in agricultural use was investigated in the Wielkopolski National Park (mid-western Poland). The heavy metals involved (Cd, Cu, Cr, Pb, Ni and Zn) were determined in groundwater, the springs that feed Lake Góreckie and the lake itself. In order to show how the heavy metals may be set free and what is their biological availability, soil and sediment samples were subjected to single-stage extraction, using 0.

Determination of aluminium in groundwater samples by GF-AAS, ICP-AES, ICP-MS and modelling of inorganic aluminium complexes.

The paper presents the results of aluminium determinations in ground water samples of the Miocene aquifer from the area of the city of Poznań (Poland). The determined aluminium content amounted from <0.0001 to 752.