Determination of inorganic elements in sediment samples from the Curonian Lagoon, Lithuania, by X-ray fluorescent measurements

Abstract

This study reports on an X-Ray Fluorescence analysis of 30 determinants from sediment samples taken from the Curonian Lagoon, (CL) Lithuania, influenced by transboundary pollution. Data on number of less well- known elements, e.g. scandium, yttrium, niobium, and gallium are included. The heavy metals and metaloids (zinc (from 16 - 96), copper (up to 19), lead (2.45 - 2.7), arsenic (1.8 – 4.5), and sulphur (> 45) times) were found accumulated in clay-type fine sediments, differing from all the other sediments of mostly fine sand origin. Clay sediments were polluted higher than proposed in situ Belgium Sediment Quality Guidelines: Cr (5.3 times), Zn (1.46 times), Pb (1.93 times), and Cu (2.38 times). Lithuania, as well as other countries, discharging to Nemunas River system, is a signatory to the 2007 UNIDO Ministerial Declaration on “Zero Discharges”. Enactment of this Declaration should lead to the reduction of some of these elements in CL fine sediments.