The impact of land use and season on the riverine transport of mercury into the marine coastal zone

In Mediterranean seas and coastal zones, rivers can be the main source of mercury (Hg). Catchment management therefore affects the load of Hg reaching the sea with surface runoff. The major freshwater inflows to the Baltic Sea consist of large rivers. However, their systems are complex and identification of factors affecting the outflow of Hg from its catchments is difficult. For this reason, a study into the impact of watershed land use and season on mercury biogeochemistry and transport in rivers was performed along two small rivers which may be considered typical of the southern Baltic region. Neither of these rivers are currently impacted by industrial effluents, thus allowing assessment of the influence of catchment terrain and season on Hg geochemistry. The study was performed between June 2008 and May 2009 at 13 sampling points situated at different terrain types within the catchments (forest, wetland, agriculture and urban). Hg analyses were conducted by CVAFS. Arable land erosion was found to be an important source of Hg to the aquatic system, similar to urban areas. Furthermore, inflows of untreated storm water discharge resulted in a fivefold increase of Hg concentration in the rivers. The highest Hg concentration in the urban runoff was observed with the greatest amount of precipitation during summer. Moderate rainfalls enhance the inflow of bioavailable dissolved mercury into water bodies. Despite the lack of industrial effluents entering the rivers directly, the sub-catchments with anthropogenic land use were important sources of Hg in the rivers. This was caused by elution of metal, deposited in soils over the past decades, into the rivers. The obtained results are especially important in the light of recent environmental conscience regulations, enforcing the decrease of pollution by Baltic countries.     

Environmental Ethics in Poland

In the 1960s, western societies discovered that unlimited technological progress has a very high price that the environment pays. This was also the beginning of the discussions on the role of ethics in the protection of the environment and the moral aspects of nature exploitation. Even though the state of nature was not better in Poland, it took Polish philosophers a few decades to recognize the moral problem and to address it. The prevailing communistic propaganda of progress had blurred the perception of Polish people and they are unable to notice the environmental problem. Thus, only in the 1990s, after the fall of communism, Polish philosophers noticed that our approach to nature can have a moral aspect and we are exhausting the resources of the Earth. Since then, Environmental Ethics in Poland has been developed. Polish Environmental Ethics (PEE) is an interesting blend of inspiration from internationally recognized thinkers as well as original approaches to the ecological problem. The first wave of PEE addresses problems discussed abroad, namely the range of ethics (whom do we include into ethical consideration?) and the problem of values, analyzing them in the context of Polish culture and philosophical traditions. It also proposed original approaches developed by Henryk Skolimowski as well as approaches inspired by the problems considered from the perspective of Catholic theology. The article will give an insight into PEE and will present how these applied ethics have been received and cultivated in Poland in the so called first wave. It will also highlight the problems of the second wave of PEE.     

Mercury in Precipitation at an Urbanized Coastal Zone of the Baltic Sea (Poland)

Wet deposition is an important source of metals to the sea. The temporal variability of Hg concentrations in precipitation, and the impact of air masses of different origins over the Polish coastal zone were assessed. Samples of precipitation were collected (August 2008–May 2009) at an urbanized coastal station in Poland. Hg analyses were conducted using CVAFS. These were the first measurements of Hg concentration in precipitation obtained in the Polish coastal zone. Since Poland was identified as the biggest emitter of Hg to the Baltic, these data are very important. In the heating and non-heating season, Hg concentrations in precipitation were similar. Hg wet deposition flux dominated in summer, when the production of biomass in the aquatic system was able to actively adsorb Hg. Input of metal to the sea was attributed to regional and distant sources. Maritime air masses, through transformation of Hg(0), were an essential vector of mercury in precipitation.     

Carbon isotope signature of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) in precipitation and atmospheric CO2

This paper describes results of chemical and isotopic analysis of inorganic carbon species in the atmosphere and precipitation for the calendar year 2008 in Wroc?aw (SW Poland). Atmospheric air samples (collected weekly) and rainwater samples (collected after rain episodes) were analysed for CO₂ and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentrations and for δ¹³C composition. The values obtained varied in the ranges: atmospheric CO₂: 337-448 ppm; δ¹³C_CO2 from −14.4 to −8.4‰; DIC in precipitation: 0.6-5.5 mg dm⁻³; δ¹³C_DIC from −22.2 to +0.2‰. No statistical correlation was observed between the concentration and δ¹³C value of atmospheric CO₂ and DIC in precipitation. These observations contradict the commonly held assumption that atmospheric CO₂ controls the DIC in precipitation. We infer that DIC is generated in ambient air temperatures, but from other sources than the measured atmospheric CO₂. The calculated isotopic composition of a hypothetical CO₂ source for DIC forming ranges from −31.4 to −11.0‰, showing significant seasonal variations accordingly to changing anthropogenic impact and atmospheric mixing processes.     

Distribution of mercury in di erent environmental compartments in the aquatic ecosystem of the coastal zone of the Southern Baltic Sea

The aim of this study was to characterize mercury (Hg) contamination in the coastal waters of the Southern Baltic Sea, and to investigate transformations of Hg in the initial links of the marine food chain. Concentrations of Hg in water, particulate matter, plankton and macrophytes at various stations in the coastal zone (a bay with restricted water exchange, near an industrial city, river mouths, and the open sea) were measured in 2006–2008. Hg concentrations observed in the Southern Baltic varied greatly, showing the highest average values in all environmental compartments near the river mouths. In shallow, sheltered parts of the gulf, where water exchange is restricted, Hg concentrations in the water and in macrophytes were elevated relative to those in the coastal zone of the deeper part of the bay and in the open Baltic. Distance to the river mouth, terrestrial runo , and quantity and quality of organic matter were more important than seasonal variations in controlling Hg and HgSPM concentrations in water samples. Mercury concentrations in the surface microlayer at the air/sea interface were over 10 times higher than those in the bulk surface water. Concentrations of Hg in macrophytes in the winter were significantly higher than those in the warm seasons (spring, summer, autumn). This was probably the combined e ect of higher availability of Hg in porewaters and leaf growth inhibition.     

Sulphur isotope mass balance of dissolved sulphate ion in a freshwater dam reservoir

We show that sulphur isotopic composition can be a useful tool to discriminate between various sources of sulphate and a tool for better understanding of the sulphur cycling and mass balance. Our investigations, carried out in a dam reservoir, demonstrate differences in sulphur biogeochemistry between different seasons, caused by recharge water supply in spring and intensive sulphate reduction in summer. In the riverine-affected part of the reservoir δ³⁴S(SO₄ ²⁻) varied from 4.7 to 5.9‰ in spring, and from 4.1 to 4.6‰ in summer. In the lacustrine-affected part δ³⁴S(SO₄²⁻) varied from 4.0 to 5.0‰ in spring, and from 4.5 to 5.4‰ in summer. Diurnal variations of δ³⁴S(SO₄ ²⁻) were negligible as compared to seasonal variations.     

Factors determining the occurrence of anthropogenic materials in nests of the white stork Ciconia ciconia

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Birds have been using anthropogenic materials for nest construction for the past few decades. However, there is a trade-off between the use of new...     

Factors controlling benzo(a)pyrene concentration in aerosols in the urbanized coastal zone. A case study: Gdynia, Poland (Southern Baltic Sea)

Annual study on the benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) concentration in aerosols in the coastal zone of the Gulf of Gdansk (southern Baltic) has been performed at Gdynia station. Combustion processes, especially domestic heating of both local and regional origin, were identified as the main sources of benzo(a)pyrene in this area. Concentrations observed during the heating season (mean 2.18 ng?m^?3) were significantly higher than these recorded in the non-heating season (mean 0.05 ng?m^?3). High benzo(a)pyrene concentrations were associated with low temperature and high humidity. Whereas high levels of precipitation usually decreased the BaP concentration in aerosols. The concentration of this factor in the studied area depended also on the wind direction and air masses trajectories. During heating season, continental air masses (coming from S, SE, SW) seemed to increase benzo(a)pyrene concentration, while maritime air masses (from N, NE, NW) caused its decrease. The differences in the BaP concentration resulting from potentially different emission levels of this compound during working and non-working days were not clearly pronounced.     

Distribution of mercury in different environmental compartments in the aquatic ecosystem of the coastal zone of the Southern Baltic Sea

The aim of this study was to characterize mercury (Hg) contamination in the coastal waters of the Southern Baltic Sea, and to investigate transformations of Hg in the initial links of the marine food chain. Concentrations of Hg in water, particulate matter, plankton and macrophytes at various stations in the coastal zone (a bay with restricted water exchange, near an industrial city, river mouths, and the open sea) were measured in 2006–2008. Hg concentrations observed in the Southern Baltic varied greatly, showing the highest average values in all environmental compartments near the river mouths. In shallow, sheltered parts of the gulf, where water exchange is restricted, Hg concentrations in the water and in macrophytes were elevated relative to those in the coastal zone of the deeper part of the bay and in the open Baltic. Distance to the river mouth, terrestrial runoff, and quantity and quality of organic matter were more important than seasonal variations in controlling Hg and HgSPM concentrations in water samples. Mercury concentrations in the surface microlayer at the air/sea interface were over 10 times higher than those in the bulk surface water. Concentrations of Hg in macrophytes in the winter were significantly higher than those in the warm seasons (spring, summer, autumn). This was probably the combined effect of higher availability of Hg in porewaters and leaf growth inhibition.     

Status and trends of mercury pollution of the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems in Poland

The goal of this paper is to assess the current status and trends of total mercury (THg) contamination of the atmosphere and terrestrial ecosystems in Poland. The study shows that the reduced domestic and worldwide atmospheric emission of Hg resulted in decreased THg level in the terrestrial biotope and biosphere. Considering that Poland is one of the main Hg emitters in Europe, the THg concentrations in its abiotic environment are still elevated. However, the THg level in terrestrial organisms is relatively low, which is because a large proportion of Hg deposited on land is accumulated in organic-rich soils. Regarding the THg concentration, consumption of wildlife and livestock from Poland is safe for humans. Nevertheless, the authors indicate the need for effective environmental monitoring, based on selected bioindicators, which is crucial considering the slowing reduction of Hg emission combined with the consequences of the changing climate.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01505-1.