GEOCHEMISTRY OF RECENT SEDIMENTS AT CONFLUENCE OF THE BLAŠTICA RIVER INTO TIKVEŠ LAKE

Abstract

The paper presents the results of the latest geochemical study of the sediments of the lower parts of the Blaštica river at its confluence with Tikveš Lake, i.e. the connection with the Crna Reka rivsr. Complete analyses of 58 elements were performed at FUS-ICP to allow observation of the individual anomalous contents of individual elements and the contaminant elements of the mud sediments. Statistical processing of these results gave characteristic results. Calculation of the so-called geo-accumulation index in general was within the Class 0, Class 1 and Class 2 or it was showing uncontaminated to moderately contaminated state of the setting, except the silver (Class 6) that showed extremely contaminated level of Igeo. In regards to contamination factor, almost for all analyzed elements it ranged from low to very high (Class 1 to Class 4), although as the most common occurred moderate to considerable (Class 2 and Class 3), while the pollution load index ranged from 1.59 to 3.20, which indicates progressive deterioration in regards of pollution at studied sites. The factor loadings were calculated after the Varimax rotation statistical processing and we obtained four factors (F1–F4) of which the F1 suggests slight anthropogene input. Also, rare earth elements were determined and the results were processed statistically. The europium anomalies showed values between 0.6933 and 0.7670 (average 0.7232) indicating negative anomaly.
Key words: geochemistry; geo-accummulation index; contamination factor; pollution index; Tikveš Lake;  rare earth elements; schlich minerals