Chemical indicators of anthropogenic impacts in sediments of the pristine karst lakes

The anthropogenic impact on the pristine karst lakes was investigated using combination of specific parameters, including multielemental analysis of major inorganic constituents (Al, K, Fe) and trace metals (Li, Ag, Cd, Sn, Pb, Bi, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Sb), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and anionic surfactants of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) type. The study was performed in the Plitvice Lakes National Park, situated in a sparsely populated area of the northwestern Dinarides, central Croatia. Dated cores of recent sediments from the two biggest lakes, Lake Prosce and Lake Kozjak, were analysed for the selected contaminants using highly specific methods, involving inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP/MS), gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). The concentration of inorganic constituents reflected primarily the geological background of the area as well as geomorphological and geochemical characteristics of the Plitvice Lakes. Due to the higher terrigenous input, the concentration of all elements was significantly higher in the Lake Prosce. The concentration of toxic metals was relatively low in both lakes, except for Cd (>1 mg kg⁻¹) and Pb (up to 40 mg kg⁻¹). The vertical profiles of these metals suggested that elevated concentrations of Cd were of natural origin, derived from the erosion of the Jurassic dolomite bedrock, while Pb was predominately of recent anthropogenic origin. A similar distribution pattern, suggesting the same prevailing mechanism of input, was observed for pyrolytic PAHs. The characteristic diagnostic PAH ratios revealed that higher PAHs prevailingly originated from the combustion of biomass and fossil fuels. LAS, which represent highly specific indicators of untreated wastewaters, were found in rather high concentrations in the recent sediment layers (up to 4.7 mg kg⁻¹), suggesting that contaminated household and hotel wastewaters reach the Lakes, very probably by leaking through the porous karst rocks.