Evaluation of the aquatic environment quality of the three rivers of Western Pomerania

Abstract

An assessment of the environmental quality of the three rivers of Pomerania - Czerwona, Grabowa and Wieprza - was carried out in the years 2008–2013 on the basis of water and aquatic plants analyses performed in summer along the entire length of the river. The basic chemical composition of water, metals content in water and plants was determined, and MPI and BCF were calculated.Depending on the river, the lowest amounts of cadmium and lead and the highest amounts of nickel and zinc were found in the water. In plants, regardless of the river, there was definitely the least amount of cadmium and the most zinc. Bioaccumulation (BCF) of metals was the highest in the Grabowa river and the lowest in the Wieprza, only for lead, the highest value was found in the Czerwona and the lowest in the Grabowa. The MPI for water and plants was the lowest in the Grabowa river, and the highest in the Wieprza for water and in the Czerwona for plants.It was found that the quality of rivers is similar to that of many Polish rivers, regardless of their location, and the greatest influence has the river size, flow, and pollution present in the catchment area - the Czerwona river was the most different in this respect from the other two.