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ORIGINAL RESEARCH
The Influence of Natural and Anthropogenic
Factors on the Quality of Sediment and Water of
the River Ljucha (Western Balkans, Montenegro)
1
Faculty of Forestry, University of Belgrade
2
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Department of Biology. University of Montenegro
3
MB University, Faculty of Business and Law, Teodora Drajzera 27, Belgrade
Submission date: 2024-07-11
Final revision date: 2024-08-28
Acceptance date: 2024-10-13
Online publication date: 2025-01-21
Publication date: 2025-11-14
Corresponding author
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2025;34(6):8259-8276
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Human-induced water pollution occurs as a result of direct or indirect discharge of waste materials
into water without prior treatment. Of all pollutants, heavy metals receive special attention due to
their toxic nature. They are present in traces in natural waters, but some of them are toxic even at low
concentrations. The aim of this research is to determine the influence of natural and anthropogenic
factors on the quality of water and sediments in the Ljucha River. For this purpose, concentrations of
heavy metals in water and sediment were examined at nine locations of the Ljucha River upstream of its
confluence with Lake Plav. For the first time, analyses of heavy metals in this river were carried out: Cd,
As, Cu, Fe, Hg, Pb, Ni, and Zn. The results showed that the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, As, and
Hg in the water of the river Ljucha do not exceed the maximum allowed values. Concentrations of heavy
metals in the sediment follow the following sequence: Fe>Ni>Zn >Cu>Pb>As>Hg>Cd. The highest
values in the sediment were recorded for iron (Fe) and nickel (Ni) at all nine investigated locations
and were above the maximum allowed values. Sediment plays a major role in the transport and fate of
pollutants, but is often overlooked as a factor in water quality assessment. It represents a natural part
of the water habitat, and any change in its characteristics affects the physical, chemical, and biological
importance of water.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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