Geochemistry of waters and bottom sediments in landslide lakes in Babiogórski National Park

Dariusz Sala,Grzegorz Rzepa

doi:10.2478/v10002-011-0007-6

Abstract

Geochemistry of waters and bottom sediments in landslide lakes in Babiogórski National Park The aim of this work was to assess the contamination of the landslide lakes located within Babiogórski National Park. For this purpose, samples of water and bottom sediment from 12 lakes were collected. Chemical analyses of the waters (including main cation and anion concentrations, trace-metal levels and selected physicochemical parameters) and of the sediments (including heavy metals) were performed. The waters are acidic to neutral and are characterized by low mineralization. Concentrations of trace elements are commonly low. Elevated levels of Fe, Mn and Al are probably related to natural geochemical processes. The sediments are strongly contaminated by Cd, whereas other trace metals levels are at their hydrogeochemical background. The high level of Cd contamination is most probably related to long-range industrial emissions.

Highlights

Babiogórski National Park (BNP) with an area of 3391.55 ha is situated in the eastern part of the Beskid Żywiecki in the Polish part of the Western Outer Carpathians
In 1977, the BNP was assigned to the Biosphere Reserve network and was integrated with the UNESCO program “Man and Biosphere” as one of the first protected areas in Poland (Omylak 2004)
Quaternary sediments, covering a significant part of the area, occur in Pleistocene and Holocene terraces running along the valleys of streams and rivers associated with alluvial cones, as colluvia of numerous landslides and as block-fields spread over the northern slope of Babia Góra Mt. (Alexandrowicz 2004)

Summary

Introduction

Babiogórski National Park (BNP) with an area of 3391.55 ha is situated in the eastern part of the Beskid Żywiecki in the Polish part of the Western Outer Carpathians. It was founded in 1954 to protect local ecosystems, namely, the Carpathian spruce forests, the dwarf mountain pine belt and alpine meadows. The Babia Góra massif (1725 m above sea level) comprises Upper CretaceousPaleogene flysch sediments with the Magura sandstone in the uppermost parts. The latter are represented by thick layers of sandstones with thin intercalations of mudstone and shale. Quaternary sediments, covering a significant part of the area, occur in Pleistocene and Holocene terraces running along the valleys of streams and rivers associated with alluvial cones, as colluvia of numerous landslides and as block-fields spread over the northern slope of Babia Góra Mt. (Alexandrowicz 2004)

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