One of the very dangerous pollution of environment are heavy metals. They are "indestructible" at the condition which leads at the environment. Pollution of heavy metals is irreversible process, except if they are physical removed from the environment which they are polluting. We determinated heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni and Co) in the mud of three fish ponds by means of sequential extraction, because of possible mobility in the mud and its concentration increase in the water. This method was selected because we wanted to determine distribution of heavy metals by substrates, and analyse was worked by the method of AAS. The results are showing that the concentration of all metals is in the extent of "natural phone" of lakes sediment.

The last decade of 20th century in Serbia (Yugoslavia) was marked with economy recession, war surroundings, and finally bombing in the period March-June 1999. Global increment of environmental pollution was one of the catastrophic consequences. War actions caused destroying of big oil refineries and reservoirs, chemical complexes and industrial objects. Afterwards, toxic and carcinogenic substances reached out to atmosphere, soil and hydrographic system. Also, ammunition with depleted uranium was used. Heavy metals are very dangerous, so that, in this paper are presented results of investigation of heavy metals contents in surface soil layers. Heavy metals are movable, by erosion processes, with possibility of reaching hydrographic network and water supply systems. Investigation was carried out at a few localities: Fruska Gora, Ivanovo, Goc and Crni Vrh. Total contents of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, Mn) was determined by AAS (atomic spectrophotometry), by usage "Varian-Spectra AA-10" apparatus.

The paper deals with the results of the phytoplankton investigations carried out in the 7 localities along the Yugoslav section of the Tisza river in the period of 13 Februar - 3 March 2000, after accidental pollution with the cyanide and heavy metals. Although certain decrease in the density of the phytoplankton and variation in the qualitative and quantitative composition were recorded, there are no significant differences in comparison with the data before accident. The short-term and possible long-term consequences were recognized, having in mind ability of algae to accumulate pollutants into their cells, and that algae are the first link on food chains. Since the content of pollutants increases with every next member in the chain, it is easy to assume cumulative effect of the all previous members.

In this work, we were investigated level and source of trace elements in industrial and sea waters in Bokakotorska Bay (Adriatic sea, Montenegro, Yugoslavia). The ranges concentration in (microgram/cubic dm) in seawater are as follows: Hg (0.1-0.4); As (0.1-0.9); Pb (2.3-10.0); Zn (3.0-12.0); Cu (2.3-8.4); Cr (0.8-3.0); Cd (0.1-1.0); Ni (0.9-3.0); Mn (0.2-0.5). The average levels of trace elements in the samples collected from industrial effluents of factory ILK were 110 - 16500 times higher than concentrations of trace elements in other industrial effluents.

Dans le cadre du Programme national, d'étude des " Charges critiques en métaux lourds dans les sols ", animé par l'ADEME, on a cherché à décrire, dans deux écosystèmes pédologiques contrastés, les stocks et les flux de métaux (Zn, Pb, Cu, Ni, Cr) afin d'effectuer un état des lieux exhaustif de la distribution verticale des éléments traces métalliques (ETM) dans des profils de sol (solum). Ces sols, choisis en milieu forestier et éloignés de sources potentielles de pollutions, n'ont reçu que des retombées atmosphériques diffuses d'ETM. Les résultats montrent un fonctionnement actuel accumulateur pour le sol volcanique (andosol) vis-à-vis de tous les ETM étudiés. Le sol sableux (podzol) montre un fonctionnement actuel lixiviant. La démarche, qui combine l'utilisation des rapports isotopiques du plomb et d'un élément endogène de référence, le scandium, a permis de quantifier les distributions de plomb endogène et exogène, et par conséquent de préciser l'incorporation dans le sol du plomb atmosphérique. Dans les deux sols, le plomb est majoritairement exogène dans l'horizon de surface mais il migre en partie profondément, jusqu'à plus de 2 mètres. Un suivi de la contamination atmosphérique diffuse des écosystèmes devrait bénéficier de notre démarche en l'appliquant au Réseau national de mesures de la qualité des sols (RMQS)

En 1997, le ministere de l'Amenagement du Territoire et de l'Environnement et l'Agence de l'environnement et de la maitrise se de l'energie (ADEME) ont commande au Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique de l'environnement de Grenoble (LGGE) (CNRS) une etude visant a evaluer les depots de metaux lourds dans les Alpes francaises en utilisant le manteau neigeux saisonnier comme piege des ces polluants pour les hivers 1997-1998 et 1998-1999. La neige est en effet un support interessant car elle ne permet pas d'interaction chimique avec les metaux. Contrairement aux mousses, ce support a donc l'avantage de permettre la determination du depot reel de ces metaux, parametre indispensable pour evaluer ulterieurement les niveaux superieurs aux charges critiques. Le domaine d'etude a ete delimite au massif alpin, car il fallait trouver un domaine de montagne ou l'on avait des altitudes suffisamment elevees (1500m) pour obtenir un manteau neigeux consequent pendant une assez longue periode. De plus, la region Rhone-Alpes est dotee de vallees fortement industrialisees, avec un fort trafic routier, ce qui va permettre de suivre, entre autres, des polluants traceurs ainsi que leur repartition spatiale, et les niveaux de contamination des Alpes. L'etendue du domaine d'etude a, en revanche, ete etablie selon des criteres pratiques. L'integralite du massif Alpin francais n'etait pas gerable, meme avec l'aide des parcs nationaux, regionaux et des reserves naturelles. Nous avons donc prefere mettre l'accent sur des analyses et interpretations plus poussees au sein de chaque massif plutot que sur une plus grande quantite de mailles donc des echantillons. Dans cet article est presentee toute la methodologie mise en place pour le choix des sites, les prelevements, les analyses. Des premiers resultats sont presentes sur certains massifs

Twelve Mediterranean hydrophyte species collected inLebanon were evaluated for their potential asbioindicator species for heavy metal pollution innutrient cultures enriched with 1 ppm Cr, Ni and Cd.These were: Nasturtium officinale R.Br, Apium nodiflorum L., Veronica beccabunga L., Veronica anagallis aquatica L., Veronicalysimachioides L., Veronica anagalloides L., Mentha longifolia L., Mentha aquatica L., Mentha pulegium L., Potentilla reptansL., Mentha sylvestris L., and Cardamine uliginosa L.. Large variability in responseto exposure to the heavy metals was observed. Growthrates remained high during the experimental period,indicating that the plants were little affected by thepresence of the metal at the experimentalconcentration. Metal accumulation and bioconcentrationvaried within at least one order of magnitude, andranged from less than 10 to over 200. Cr waspreferentially accumulated in the roots. All speciesbut M. pulegium, P. reptans and V. anagallisaquatica accumulated and bioconcentrated sufficientCr to qualify as bioindicator species. Five of thespecies that accumulated Cr also accumulated Ni, withthe same partitioning into the root. These were: N. officinale, C. uliginosa sp., M. longifolia, M. aquatica and M. sylvestris, all of which mayalso be used as bioindicators of Ni pollution. Onlyone species, M. aquatica, accumulated Cdsignificantly, and may, therefore, be used as abioindicator for all three metals.

Sludge from a wastewater treatment plant can be applied to soil to make use of its fertilizing properties, neverthelessit is necessary to study all the effects of this deposition to ascertain any possible hazardous properties. Interactions among the soil, the water, and a lime-stabilized waste watersludge were studied, both in batch experiments, and in columnpercolation experiments. Firstly a physico-chemical characterization of the soil and the sludge used for the experiments was carried out. This analysis included pH, organic matter, cation exchange capacity, metals and cations.The kinetics and equilibrium of the sludge-water and leachate-soil systems were studied in batch experiments; thekinetics were fitted to a first order differential equation and distribution coefficients were found for the equilibrium.Experiments in columns (10 cm diameter × 50 cm height) were carried out with a bed of sludge over a bed of soil usingdifferent sludge/soil ratios and then 6 L of water (rainfall)was poured over the beds. Results showed good adsorption of Ca and a complete leaching of the aqueous phase of this ion afterpassing a volume of water equivalent to three volumes of the column. The concentration of heavy metals (Zn, Ni, Hg, Cd, Pb and Cr) in the leachates did not reach the admissible legal limits (Spanish and European regulations) in any case.

To compare the soil remediation effectiveness of saltsof weak organic acids with strongchelating agents, three soils of different textures,all polluted by heavy metals, were washed in a column,at optimum pH, with salts of weak organic acids,namely, citrate, tartarate or oxalate + citrate orchelating agents (EDTA or DTPA). For the clay loam,Cr, Mn, Hg and Pb were removed by citrate andtartarate at levels of 43 to 45, 37 to 41, 91 to 92and 75%, respectively. EDTA and DTPA effectivelyleached only Pb after 20 pore volumes. For the loam,citrate leached 98 and 89% of Cd and Pb after 20 porevolumes, respectively, while tartarate leached out 91and 87% of Cd and Pb. EDTA and DTPA removed 93 to97% of these metals after 20 pore volumes. For thesandy clay loam, 84 to 91, 73 to 84, 56 to 70 and 72to 81% of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn were removedrespectively, by citrate and tartarate. EDTA and DTPAremoved 93 to 97% of these metals after 20 porevolumes. An in situ soil remediation simulation wasalso tested using the sandy clay loam in a tub. After12 hr of retention, the citrate solution washed 81, 82,73 and 90%, of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, respectively, aftersix pore volumes. EDTA and DTPA effectively removedall heavy metals, except for Hg, but also extractedlarge quantities of soil nutrients and pollute thesoil by being adsorbed on the soil particles. Thesalts of citrate and tartarate effectively removed theheavy metals from the three polluted soils whileleaching little macro-nutrients and improving soilstructure. Each soil reached C and B levels ofsoil-clean-up criteria after 10 to 20 pore volumes andwithin 10 to 15 hr of flushing.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and heavymetal (Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg, Fe, Co, Cr, Mo) contentswere established in soil and plant samples collectedin different areas of the railway junction IławaGłówna, Poland. Soil and plant samples werecollected in four functional parts of the junction, i.e. the loading ramp, platform area, rolling stockcleaning bay and the railway siding. It was found thatthe PAH contamination of soil and plants was thehighest in the platform area and near the railwaysiding and lowest in the loading ramp and cleaning bayareas. The contamination exceeded control levels up toalmost twenty fold. The heavy metal contaminationpattern was different. The soil and plants were veryhighly contaminated in the cleaning bay and side trackareas while the loading ramp and platform areas wereless contaminated. A particularly high pollution levelwas observed for mercury in the cleaning bay area.Also lead, zinc and copper pollution levels wererelatively high in the cleaning bay and side trackareas. No significant increase in molybdenum contentwas observed in comparison with the control area.