ASSESSMENT OF THE QUALITY OF RIVER SEDIMENTS IN BASELINE NATIONAL MONITORING STATIONS OF 12 COUNTRIES IN THE DANUBE RIVER BASIN
Authors:   Geological Institute of Romania IGR, 1 Caransebeș St., RO-012171 Bucharest, Romania,, VÎJDEA Anca-Marina , ALEXE Veronica Elena , BĂLAN Lidia-Lenuța , BOGDEVICH Oleg ,   Institute of Chemistry, 3 Academy St., Chişinău, MD-2028, Republic of Moldova, ČERU Teja ,   Geological Survey of Slovenia, Dimičeva ulica 14, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia, DEVIĆ Neda ,   Geological Survey of Montenegro, Kruševac bb, 81000 Podgorica, Crna Gora, Montenegro, DOBNIKAR Meta , DUDÁS Katalin Mária ,   Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Villányi út 29-43, 1118 Budapest, Hungary, HAJDAREVIĆ Ismir ,   Geological Survey of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina FZZG, Ustanička 11, 71210 Ilidža, BiH, HALÍŘOVÁ Jarmila ,   Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, Generála Šišky 942, 13400 Prague 4, Czech Republic, HIKOV Atanas ,   Geological Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Acad. Georgi Boncev St., bl. 24, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, HUMER Franko ,   Environment Agency Austria UBA, Spittelauer Lände 5, A-1090 Vienna, Austria, IVANIŠEVIĆ Danijel ,   Croatian Geological Survey, Sachsova 2, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia, JANKULÁR Michal ,   State Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr, Mlynska dolina 1, 817 04 Bratislava, Slovakia, JORDAN Gyozo ,   Eötvös Loránd University, Egyetem tér 1-3, H-1053, Budapest, Hungary, KORET Kristina , MARJANOVIĆ Marko , MARJANOVIĆ Prvoslav ,   Jaroslav Černi Water Institute, Jaroslava Cernog 80, 11226, Belgrade, Republic of Serbia, MIKL Libor , NICOARĂ Igor ,   Institute of Geology and Seismology, 60/3 Gh. Asachi St., Chişinău, Republic of Moldova, NIKOLIĆ Toni , PEYTCHEVA Irena , PFLEIDERER Sebastian ,   Geological Survey of Austria GBA, Neulinggasse 38, A-1030 Vienna, Austria, REITNER Heinz , ŠORŠA Ajka , VIĆANOVIĆ Jelena ,   Vode Srpske, Miloša Obilića 51, 76300 Bijeljina, BiH, VULIĆ Dragica 
Published: October 2022

Fluvial sediment samples (river bottom sediment, suspended sediment and active floodplain/overbank) were collected in 2 baseline stations of the Transnational Monitoring Network for each of the 12 countries in the Danube Basin Region: Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Republic of Moldavia, Montenegro, Romania, Republic of Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia, according to a harmonized methodology. The sediment samples were analyzed for selected hazardous substances (HSs): 8 metals, 8 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 6 pesticides in an accredited laboratory selected as reference laboratory, as well as in national laboratories. Risk ratios were computed in order to compare the results to the Environmental Quality Standards listed in the European Directives, to the national threshold values in the Danube Basin, and to other available international European and American quality standards, and the risk ratios were classified as background, alert and intervention values for readily evaluation. Results show widespread metal(oid) (As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn) contamination in the Danube Basin, most often associated with historic mining. Concentration values of Ni and Cr exceeding the thresholds are caused by the geological background (ultrabasic and metamorphic rocks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Serbia and Romania). Concentration values higher than the thresholds for some of the PAHs (e.g. Fluoranthene) and sometimes for Total PAHs were also noted almost in every countries, caused by industrial activities, wastewater discharges or navigation on the Danube River. Pesticides were below the detection limit or below the legislative intervention thresholds at all national baseline sampling sites.