Presence and Level of Heavy Metals in the River Miljacka

Abstract

In this project under the financial support of the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Youth of Sarajevo Canton, the sources of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Co, Fe, Mn and Hg) were examined in the river Miljacka, and the levels of pollution in two different periods, in autumn and early spring. The sources and presence of heavy metals in the water and in the ground (riverbanks mud) were determined, physical and chemical analyzes of the water were also done in the same periods of the year. This research paper provides an overview of the analysis of mud and water samples from the Miljacka river from ten different sites in the city of Sarajevo from Goat bridge to the estuary of the River Miljacka into the Bosna River. All analyzes were performed in the Laboratory for Chemistry of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food Sciences University of Sarajevo and the laboratory EURO INSPEKT ltd. - "Real INSPECT" Sarajevo. Physicochemical parameters examined in this research work were: turbidity (measured 6.19-32.04 NTU), pH value (6.3-7.72), consumption of KMnO4 (1.94 - 7.39 mg O2/l), ammonia (0.05 - 4.08 mg N/I), nitrates (0.80 - 2.90 mg/l). All heavy metals and trace elements (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr, Co, Fe, Mn) according to the obtained results were under the references except mercury (Hg) observed higher concentrations from two sites (0.10 μg/l) in both measuring (autumn and spring).  Based on the conducted research, we can conclude that the river Miljacka has a higher concentration of nitrates, ammonia, mercury and inadequate turbidity.