Development of a monitoring network for the analysis of elements in aerosol samples collected at Lake Balaton

Abstract

Determination of different toxic elements in aerosol and precipitation samples collected at Lake Balaton were carried out. A simple sequential leaching procedure was applied for the determination of the distribution of elements. The distribution of elements was determined among environmentally mobile, bound to carbonates and oxides, and bound to silicates and organic matters (environmentally immobile) fractions. Particular attention was paid to distinguish between environmentally mobile and environmentally immobile fractions because these represent the two extreme modes by which the metals are bound to the solid matrices. Aerosol samples were weekly collected in Tihany, Siófok and Keszthely on 5 cm diameter Teflon filters with a membrane pump. While Cd-compounds have been found enormously in the environmentally mobile fractions, As-compounds accumulated almost evenly among portions. The results of sequential leaching give an indication of the mobility of the elements once the aerosol is mixed directly into natural waters on during scavenging of the aerosol by wet deposition. Based upon the data it can be concluded that the effect of anthropogenic sources is minor in this area.