Assessment of trace metals and arsenic contamination in water and sediments in a former mining area of the river basin after an ecological disaster, Slana River, Slovakia
- 1Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovak Republic
Abstract
This study assessed the spatial distribution of trace metals and arsenic in the water and sediment of the Slana River (Slovakia) approximately one and a half years after the 2022 release of mine water from the former Nizna Slana siderite mine. Samples were collected in September 2023 at four river sites from Gocovo to Lenartovce (L1-L4) and at five points within 50 m of the mine-water discharge (S0-S4), and the data were evaluated using non-parametric tests, principal component analysis, contamination factors (CF) and the pollution load index (PLI). At the discharge point, the water contained 149 mg/L Fe, 27 mg/L Mn and 0.29 mg/L As; beyond this point, however, most metals in the filtered river water were below the limit of detection, and only sulphur remained clearly elevated downstream (35.7 mg/L at L2 vs. 6.4 mg/L at the reference site). In contrast, the sediment retained the contamination: As reached 7920 mg/kg and Cd 39 mg/kg at the discharge, exceeding the probable effect concentrations of freshwater sediment quality guidelines more than 200-fold and almost eightfold, respectively, and As remained above this level at the first downstream site (47 mg/kg). While As, Hg, Mn and Ni declined rapidly downstream, S and Al accumulated toward the most distant site, so that the PLI remained uniform along the river (1.06-1.16; p = 0.246). Despite the apparent recovery of the water column, the sediments of the Slana River thus remain a persistent reservoir of arsenic and trace metals and a potential source of chronic exposure for biota; repeated sampling across seasons is needed to confirm this pattern.
Related
- Assessment of trace metal contamination in mangrove sediments—a case study from Guadeloupe Island, Caribbean Sea
- Microbial ecological insights from estuarine sediments revealed by temporal and spatial network analysis
- Agroecological sheep farming systems in the Ile-de-France region: Assessment of micropollutant contamination in fodder and ewe blood, milk and urine
- Associations between social network characteristics and daily social experiences in later life: evidence from ecological momentary assessment
- Investigating the dynamic relationship between anxiety and spatial memory using autonomous ecological momentary assessment
BibTeX
@misc{helczman2026assessment,
title = {{Assessment of trace metals and arsenic contamination in water and sediments in a former mining area of the river basin after an ecological disaster, Slana River, Slovakia}},
author = {M. Helczman and M. Tomka and L. Harangozo and A. Kovacik},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.08.757544},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.08.757544v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Assessment of trace metals and arsenic contamination in water and sediments in a former mining area of the river basin after an ecological disaster, Slana River, Slovakia
AU - M. Helczman
AU - M. Tomka
AU - L. Harangozo
AU - A. Kovacik
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/08
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.08.757544
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.08.757544v1
AB - This study assessed the spatial distribution of trace metals and arsenic in the water and sediment of the Slana River (Slovakia) approximately one and a half years after the 2022 release of mine water from the former Nizna Slana siderite mine. Samples were collected in September 2023 at four river sites from Gocovo to Lenartovce (L1-L4) and at five points within 50 m of the mine-water discharge (S0-S4), and the data were evaluated using non-parametric tests, principal component analysis, contamination factors (CF) and the pollution load index (PLI). At the discharge point, the water contained 149 mg/L Fe, 27 mg/L Mn and 0.29 mg/L As; beyond this point, however, most metals in the filtered river water were below the limit of detection, and only sulphur remained clearly elevated downstream (35.7 mg/L at L2 vs. 6.4 mg/L at the reference site). In contrast, the sediment retained the contamination: As reached 7920 mg/kg and Cd 39 mg/kg at the discharge, exceeding the probable effect concentrations of freshwater sediment quality guidelines more than 200-fold and almost eightfold, respectively, and As remained above this level at the first downstream site (47 mg/kg). While As, Hg, Mn and Ni declined rapidly downstream, S and Al accumulated toward the most distant site, so that the PLI remained uniform along the river (1.06-1.16; p = 0.246). Despite the apparent recovery of the water column, the sediments of the Slana River thus remain a persistent reservoir of arsenic and trace metals and a potential source of chronic exposure for biota; repeated sampling across seasons is needed to confirm this pattern.
ER -