Gadolinium as marker of anthropogenic inputs of metals in marine sediments of the Gulf of Gdańsk
2022
Wolska, Lidia | Łęczyński, Leszek | Rogowska, Justyna | Ratajczyk, Wojciech | Cieszynska-Semenowicz, Monika | Dembska, Grażyna | Szczepańska, Katarzyna
PURPOSE: Gadolinium (Gd) is used as a contrast agent in medical diagnostics and is released into river and marine environments from wastewater treatment plants (WTPs). The aim of this work was to verify the applicability of Gd occurrence as a marker of metal contamination in sediments. Although the total concentration of Gd provides valuable information on pollution levels, it is insufficient to estimate its bioavailability. Therefore, labile forms of Gd in sediments were determined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sediment samples were collected from the mouth of the Vistula River and in the vicinity of the WTP sewage outlets respectively. The concentrations of the labile fraction of Gd were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Gadolinium concentrations varied between 0.200 ± 0.011 and 3.02 ± 0.15 mg kg⁻¹ dry weight (d.w.). A comparison of the results of chemical analysis and geological studies showed a relationship between the content of Gd and sediment sorting. CONCLUSIONS: The observed relationship between the content of Gd and other metals leads to the conclusion that the occurrence of Gd can be used as a marker of contamination of sediments.
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