Evaluation of the aluminium load in the aquatic environment of two small rivers in the Baltic Sea catchment area

The study covered the aquatic environment of two small rivers in Western Pomerania, Poland, such as the Czerwona and the Grabowa. Its purpose was to determine aluminium bioaccumulation in the aquatic environment by testing water, bottom sediments and aquatic plants. Samples were taken in the summers of 2008-2011. pH, electrolytic conductivity and aluminium concentration were determined in water samples, while the sediment and plant samples were submitted to analyses of the aluminium content. The water pH oscillated between 6.04 and 8.95, while the electrolytic conductivity ranged from 440 to 1598 μS cm-1. The aluminium concentration in the river water was up to 0.138 mg Al dm-3 in the Czerwona and up to 0.425 mg Al dm-3 in the Grabowa. The maximum aluminium content in the bottom sediments was 47.01 mg Al kg-1 in the Czerwona River and 26.15 mg Al kg-1 in the Grabowa River. The maximum aluminium content in the aquatic plants sampled from the Czerwona was 91.63 mg Al kg-1, and from the Grabowa – 1,077 mg Al kg-1. The bioconcentration factor (BCF) of aluminium for the Czerwona River ranged from 5.06 to 24,052, and for the Grabowa River – from 1.10 to 70,132. The concentration factor (CF) of aluminium in the bottom sediments oscillated between 66.72 and 23,492 in the Czerwona River and between 14.81 and 2,763 in the Grabowa. The aluminium content in the two rivers was relatively low in the water, sediments and aquatic plants, which is typical of environments without strong anthropopressure. The values fell within the limits set by environmental water quality standards. The low aluminium accumulation degrees in the biotic and abiotic components indicate that the environments of the two rivers have a low load of aluminium compounds.