GEOCHEMICAL AND MINERALOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SEDIMENTS FROM THE GULF OF ELEFSINA -STUDY OF THE ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACT
Abstract
Mineralogical and geochemical data on sediment of three sampling locations in the gulf of Elefsina, have been studied in order to access the impact of inorganic pollutants. The gulf is relatively shallow in depth and is connected to Saronicos bay with two shallow channels. This bottom physiography, worses the depositional environment since it receives pollutants of both the city and the industry without having wide towards the open sea. Grain size analysis of the surface sediments indicates that they are classified as sandy loam. However the main characteristic is the widespread appearance of a silty black layer, rich in organic matter. The thickness of the layer is 12 cm and is related to the oxic-anoxic conditions of the surface of the sediments. During the summer period the anoxic conditions promote an increase of the concentration of the organic matter in the bottom sediments which results in the widespread black coloring. The existence of a black layer in the first 10 to 12 cm of the cored sample is attributed to human activity. During the winter period, in which sampling took place, the increase in soluble O2 was responsible for the appearance of a thin brownish color top of the black layer. The thickness of this coloration is 0.5 mm. The pH of the sediments fluctuated between 7.4 and 8.5. The lower pH values are obtained in the top of the sediments while the higher ones in the bottom of the sediments. Data from the cation exchange capacity measurements have asserted the predominant of clays in the west side of the gulf. The distribution of total organic values yields higher values in the eastern side of the gulf (average value 4%) from the western side (average value 2.5%). Mineralogical composition of the sediments yielded the following minerals; quartz, calcite, dolomite, chlorite, illite, albite and alunite. A characteristic fluctuation of the soluble metals Pb, Ni, Zn, Cu, Μη, Cr, Hg and Cd, was observed, which characterize the environmental condition and pollution of the gulf of Elefsina
Article Details
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Κανελλοπούλου Γ., Περδικάτσης Β., & Φώσκολος Α. (2004). GEOCHEMICAL AND MINERALOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SEDIMENTS FROM THE GULF OF ELEFSINA -STUDY OF THE ANTHROPOGENIC IMPACT. Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, 36(1), 164–173. https://doi.org/10.12681/bgsg.16597
- Section
- Geochemistry
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