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The main objective of this paper is to evaluate how a choice of different background values may affect assessing the anthropogenic heavy metal pollution in sediments from Tisza River (Serbia). The second objective of this paper is to underline significance of using geochemical background values when establishing quality criteria for sediment. Enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), pollution load index (PLI), and potential ecological risk index (PERI) were calculated using different background values. Three geochemical (average metal concentrations in continental crust, average metal concentrations in shale, and average metal concentrations in non-contaminated core sediment samples) and two statistical methods (delineation method and principal component analyses) were used for calculating background values. It can be concluded that obtained information of pollution status can be more dependent on the use of background values than the index/factor chosen. The best option to assess the potential river sediment contamination is to compare obtained concentrations of analyzed elements with concentrations of mineralogically and texturally comparable, uncontaminated core sediment samples. Geochemical background values should be taken into account when establishing quality criteria for soils, sediments, and waters. Due to complexity of the local lithology, it is recommended that environmental monitoring and assessment include selection of an appropriate background values to gain understanding of the geochemistry and potential source of pollution in a given environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine the origin and type of organic matter (OM) in recent sediments of the Tisza River, along a distance of 153 km through the territory of Serbia. For this purpose, group organic--geochemical parameters and biomarker compositions were used. All samples contained approximately same amount of OM, which was deposited under uniform, slightly reducing conditions. Based on the distribution of n-alkanes, the origin and type of OM could not be precisely estimated. However, the n-alkane patterns suggest the presence of immature singenetic organic matter of terrestrial origin. The distributions of terpanes and steranes and the values of the corresponding maturity parameters indicate that the Tisza River sediments, apart from immature singenetic organic matter, contain oil pollutants of anthropogenic origin. The identical compositions of these biomarkers in all samples confirmed that the recent sediments of the Tisza River, from Kanjiža Town to the confluence into the Danube River, contain the same type of oil pollutants. Based on the compositions of terpanes and steranes and the values of the biomarker parameters in Tisza sediments, it is supposed that the oil pollution generally could be related to heavy fuel oil from tankers, due to intense river transport and, to lower extent, to crude oils from the Elemir and Rusanda oil fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In aquatic environments metals originate from various natural and anthropogenic sources. The degree of contamination in fish tissues depends on the pollutant, fish species, their mode of feeding, sampling site and trophic level. This study presents concentrations of Al, As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr and Zn in sediment and liver of four ecologically different fish species: piscivorous northern pike (Esox luciusL.), benthivorous sterlet (Acipenser ruthenusL.) and silver bream (Brama bramaL.), and omnivorous common carp (Cyprinus carpioL.). Fish were caught at four sites along the stretch of the River Tisza in Serbia during October 2010. The concentrations of metals have been assessed using the inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry. Results revealed that metals with the highest values in sediment and fish samples were Al and Fe, respectively and sometimes concentrations of Zn are in the same order of magnitude as Fe concentrations. The highest concentration of metals was recorded in omnivorous common carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of Al, As, B, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, and Zn in liver, gills, gonads, and brain of four ecologically different fish species in Serbia: piscivorous northern pike, benthivorous sterlet and silver bream, and omnivorous common carp. Fish were caught at four sites along the stretch of the River Tisza in the Pannonian part of Serbia during October 2010. Results revealed that heavy metals and microelements with the highest values in fish samples were Fe, Al, and Zn. The highest concentration of heavy metals and microelements was recorded in omnivorous common carp, and organs that most intensively accumulated the greatest number of metals were liver and gills, whereas the locality did not exert a marked impact on level of bioaccumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]