Heavy metals and other elements in the different types of precipitation - Ružomberok experimental area, Liptov, Slovakia

Abstract

From the acquired results of environmental monitoring and analyses of 117 samples of air water, 50 samples of rain water and 29 samples of solid water sampled from the sample plot Lisková, situated almost 2 km from the company Mondi SCP, a.s. (Ružomberok), we may assume the following concluding points:From the chosen elements of S, P, Cl, Ca, K, Ti, Mn, Cr, Fe, Ni, Co, Cu, As, Zn, Rb, Zr, Sr, Mo, Cd, Ag, Sn, Ba, Sb, Pb and Hg the acquired concentrations (ppm) were higher than the detection limits of the used X-ray fluorescence spectrometry only in cases of Cl, Ca, K, Ti, Mo, Rb, Sb, S and Sn. One factor ANOVA also showed that the concentration of K in samples of snow decreased with the increasing age of snow or temperature at sampling. This relationship remains unconfirmed from a statistic point of view for the other elements. Higher levels of chlorine were present in a liquid form - rain water, air water. In solid water (ice, snow) the levels were lower. Chlorine occurred more in places where sulphur was not detected, which was in contrast with the places, where sulphur was detected. Chlorine cumulated in an increased manner in an environment where CO₂ levels were higher, temperature was higher and there were higher levels of O₃ in the air. Less chlorine occurred in an environment at times when the air was very humid and partly accompanied with increased dustiness. The variance of potassium amount did not correlate with this phenomenon. Sulphur correlated almost absolutely with an increasing or decreasing amount of PM₁₀ particles.