Abstract
Hydropower plants affect the distribution and composition of sediments. The main aim of this study was to analyze the spatial distribution of sediment pollution in the vicinity of a small hydropower plant. The grain composition of the sediments, the content of heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Cr, Zn, Pb, and Cd) and select physicochemical properties (pH, electrolytic conductivity) were tested at 14 points upstream and downstream of the hydropower plant on the Ślęza River in Poland, as well as at reference point. The interactions between the tested parameters were also verified. The results of the conducted analysis show that hydropower plants significantly affect the composition and properties of sediments. Large amounts of sediment are deposited on damming weirs, accumulating heavy metals and other substances. The differences in the concentrations of elements were significant, and Cu, Ni, Cr, Zn and Pb were 8.74, 9.53, 3.63, 8.26 and 6.33 times higher, respectively, than the median value at points upstream of the hydropower plant than downstream. It was shown that the tested parameters of the sediments interact with each other and are correlated; heavy metals showed a synergistic effect, while other parameters configurations showed an antagonistic effect. The higher content of heavy metals upstream of the hydropower plant resulted from the presence of finer sediment—classified as silt—in this section. Downstream of the hydropower plant, there were mainly sands, which showed a lower ability to absorb substances. This work contributes to improving the rational management of the worldwide issue of sediments within dams located in river valleys. Moreover, it is in line with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the United Nations, particularly in the fields of clean water and sanitation, clean and available energy, and responsible consumption and production.
Highlights
Dams, including those with hydropower functions, significantly affect the distribution and composition of bottom sediments in river systems and contribute to the energy balance [1,2,3,4]
Due to the higher concentrations of Cu, Cd, Cr and Pb upstream the hydropower plant, remediation of the sediments is recommended
This indicates that hydropower plants that values and z-scores forfor p
Summary
Dams, including those with hydropower functions, significantly affect the distribution and composition of bottom sediments in river systems and contribute to the energy balance [1,2,3,4] This effect is especially noticeable in the context of sediment accumulation upstream of the dams, due to the partition of the riverbed, as well as increased erosion processes downstream of the dams [5,6]. Research shows that 28% of the world’s sediment stocks (4–5 Bt per year) are stored in reservoirs upstream of dams, taking into account all river basins [7,8] This has a number of consequences, including impacts on the sections downstream of the dams, where the phenomenon of sediment starvation (“hungry waters”) occurs [9,10]. A reduction or absence of sediment loads in the lower sections of rivers have been reported; for example, in the Colorado River delta in the United States and Mexico [17,18], the Yangtze in China [19], the Mekong in Cambodia [20], and in rivers of the Mediterranean and Black Seas [21]
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