Seasonal Fluctuations In Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb Concentrations In Surface Microlayers And Subsurface Water Of Two City Ponds

Abstract

We owe the knowledge concerning the surface water microlayer to the wide research into marine environment and relatively scarce research done into inland city ponds ecosystems. The surface microlayer is a very thin, several hundred micrometers thick layer at the contact of water and atmosphere. This important form of air-water exchange ecotone, which constitutes the surface microlayer of water, is a specific environment as to its chemical and physical characteristics and is different from subsurface waters. It can absorb chemical substances like heavy metals, phytoneuston and bacteria in larger quantities in comparison to lower parts of the water. This characteristic feature results, among others, from the processes of transport at the contact of hydrosphere-atmosphere and also transport within the very area of surface water microlayer. The paper describes transport processes of six heavy metals: Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb from subsurface water to surface water microlayer and vice versa, analyzed in a one year cycle. The transport of chemical substances under consideration was described on a basis of experiments made during the period of one year at five city pounds in Slupsk (Polish Pomerania). During the research, samples of the surface water microlayer were collected by means of application of the Garrett mesh technique. At the same time, samples of subsurface water were collected and tested as to the content of the same parameters as the surface microlayer. Samples were sampled in month intervals. The concentration of aforementioned heavy metals was measured by mass spectrometry method and used Perkin Elmer Elan DRC aparature.