The Relationship Between Metal Forms Found in River Bottom Sediments and Land Development (Review)

Abstract

Components of the environment comprise three-phase aquatic ecosystems, whose basic phase is the liquid, i.e. water. On the one hand, it borders the gas phase, which is the atmospheric air, on the other – the solid phase, i.e. the ground which is most frequently covered with bottom sediment. In addition, water contains suspensions which may be formed by inorganic matter and living organisms, representing both flora and fauna. Consequently, the sources of origin and migration routes of various substances which affect surface water quality are numerous. An integral part of the aquatic environment is bottom sediments. They play a significant role in the biochemical cycle of elements as the place of deposition and chemical transitions of many compounds which find their way into water. Moreover, they constitute a habitat of water organisms, which results in biochemical transitions of the compounds deposited in the sediments. An assessment of pollution impact on surface water quality requires a study of anthropogene concentration levels and sources. In this respect, bottom sediments which function as sorption column offer particularly useful material for research aimed at determination of major sources of pollution as well as providing a clear picture of what happens in the pelagic zone. Given the relatively easy metal migration from the environment to the water phase, it may be assumed that the metal concentration level in bottom sediments is a sensitive indicator of environmental cleanliness. Together with water, soluble and insoluble substances in various states of matter migrate and may encounter resistance from a large variety of factors. The latter are usually taken to include internal and external friction, changes in shapes and cross-section dimensions, river load separation and transport, local obstacles to water flow in the river channel, vegetation overgrowing the river channel, as well as irregularities and curvatures of the horizontal system. The total resistance of the river channel is the sum of partial resistances due to individual factors, but the proportion of a factor in total resistances varies depending on flow volume as well as season, which need to be considered in hydrological analyses. For research into the processes which occur in surface waters, particularly those which shape bottom sediments, significant is the issue of direct measurement of river load movement intensity. Accurate understanding of the processes which occur in the river load,