Teka Kom. Ochr. Kszt. Środ. Przyr., 2006, 3, 66-70 DISTRIBUTION OF COPPER IN RECREATIONAL RESERVOIRS OF URBAN GREEN AREA Bogdan Karlik *, Barbara Szpakowska **, Magdalena Szczepańska ** * Department of Pedology and Waste Land Recultivation, Agricultural University of Poznań Piątkowska str. 94, 60-618 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: bgkarlik@onet.poczta.pl ** Department of Landscape Architecture, Agricultural University of Poznań H. Dąbrowskiego str. 159, 60-594 Poznań, Poland, e-mail: bszpa@au.poznan.pl Summary. The occurrence of copper in structural elements of recreational water reservoirs located in green area of the city of Poznań was analysed. Distribution of Cu in the waters, sediments and soils surrounding the reservoirs and in water plants, depending on vegetation season, was presented. The yearly average concentrations of Cu in waters fluctuated from 5.32 µg dm 3 to 6.85 µg dm 3. The amounts of Cu in plants and sediments varied from 2.38 mg kg 1 to 10.1 mg kg 1, depending on species and part of analysed plant. The amounts of Cu in sediments (from 3.3 mg kg 1 to 47.4 mg kg 1 ) were connected with localization of reservoirs in green areas as well as with place of sampling. Key words: copper, recreational reservoirs, water plants, sediments, soils INTRODUCTION One of the environmental problems, often discussed in literature, is the evaluation of copper amounts in waters, soils, sediments as well as in living organisms being a part of the environment. Moreover, binding of metals with dissolved organic matter in ground and surface waters, as well as the role of plants existing in water reservoirs in the modification of chemical forms of metals and limiting their migration is widely presented [Szpakowska and Karlik 2003]. Copper is one of the elements which belong to the group of microelements necessary for many organisms to live, beside iron, manganese, zinc, boron and molybdenum. The demand for this element described as safe and sufficient amounts to 1.25-2.65 mg per day depending on age [Białkowska 1992]. In aeroponic cultivation of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum), the medium served to plants by electronic instruments must contain at least 0.048 mg of Cu in one litter of solution [Komosa 1996]. In meadow plants which have the ability of significant Cu accumulation the average amount of this element is usually 5.8 mg Cu in one kilogram of dry mass [Domaniecki 1992]. Studies on the function of metals in water reservoirs [Karlik and Szpakowska 1999] indicated that water plants, such as common reed Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steudel., growing in a mid-field pond, contained on average 17.1 mg Cu in one kilogram of dry mass.
DISTRIBUTION OF COPPER IN RECREATIONAL RESERVOIRS... 67 This paper presents the distribution of copper in different structural parts of water ecosystems located in recreational green area of the city of Poznań. The evaluation of copper in waters and its content in plants, sediments, as well as in soils surrounding water places was studied with respect to the growing season. STUDY AREA, MATERIAL AND METHODS The analysis of copper concentration was conducted in 2004 year in four objects: two natural postglacial lakes Kierskie Lake (KL), Strzeszyńskie Lake (SL), as well as in two artificial reservoirs: Rusałka Lake (RL) and Sołacki Pond (SP).The reservoirs are located on the western part of Poznań city, on the tributary of Bogdanka River to the Warta River. These reservoirs are removed from the centre of city as follows: SP, RL, SL, KL. Concentrations of copper in waters and its contents in plants: reed maces Typha latifolia (L.) and common reed Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steudel., in sediments near the littoral created by the plants as well as in soils, were determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy using Varian Spectre AA200 spectrophotometer with electro-thermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (ETAAS). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Concentrations of copper in water of the examined reservoirs were not highly differentiated. However, a distinct regularity was observed in the waters: the more remote the reservoir from the centre of the city the lower concentration of copper observed. Yearly concentrations of copper in waters of the examined recreational reservoirs were: Kierskie Lake 5.32 µg dm 3 ; Strzeszyńskie Lake 6.11 µg dm 3 ; Rusałka Lake 6.24 µg dm 3 ; Sołacki Pond 6.85 µg dm 3. Analyses of copper content in examined plants showed that yearly average amounts of this element ranged from 2.38 mg kg 1 to 10.16 mg kg 1 depending on the species and parts of analysed plants (Tab. 1). Table 1. Content of copper in analysed plants (mg kg 1 d. m.) Tabela 1. Zawartość miedzi w badanych roślinach (mg kg 1 s.m.) Water reservoir Zbiornik wodny Kierskie Lake (KL) Jezioro Kierskie (JK) Strzeszyńskie Lake (SL) Jezioro Strzeszyńskie (JS) Rusałka Lake (RS) Jezioro Rusałka (JR) Sołacki Pond (SP) Staw Sołacki (SS) Examined species and part of plant Analizowany gatunek i część rośliny Phragmites australis (Cav.) Typha latifolia (L.) Trin ex. Steudel leaves liście rhizomes kłącza plant roślina leaves liście rhizomes kłącza plant roślina 9.17 5.25 7.21 5.28 4.87 5.07 5.33 10.16 7.74 8.17 6.45 7.31 5.40 5.96 5.68 2.74 2.38 2.56 6.81 6.87 6.84 4.45 3.4 3.92
68 Bogdan Karlik et al. Average amounts of copper in Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steudel. amounted to 6.86 mg per kg of dry mass, whereas in Typha latifolia (L.) copper content was 4.71 mg in kg of dry mass. The highest amounts of copper (7.74 mg Cu in kg of dry mass) were determined in Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steudel. and the lowest (2.56 mg kg 1 ) quantities of Cu were noted in Typha latifolia (L.), which was connected with the amounts of this element in different parts of these plants. In the rhizomes of these two examined species growing in Strzeszyńskie Lake the average yearly contents of copper amounted to 10.16 mg kg 1 and 6.45 mg kg 1 respectively. The leaves of plant species Typha latifolia (L.) growing in the same lake also contained the highest amounts of copper (8.17 mg kg 1 ). However, the highest content of copper in Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steudel. were determined in plants growing in Kierskie Lake. Analysing the impact of plant settlement in reservoirs on the quantity of Cu in plants, the amounts of this metal in bottom sediments were determined (Fig. 1). The average yearly quantity of Cu in bottom deposits near the littoral, consisting of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steudel., amounted to 6.13 mg kg 1, and near Typha latifolia (L.) 20.10 mg kg 1. This significant difference in the amounts of Cu in two kinds of examined plants is connected with the content of copper in plants growing in Strzeszyńskie Lake (23.90 mg kg 1 ) and Sołacki Pond (47.40 mg kg 1 ). 60 47.4 40 20 0 5.26 3.3 8.17 23.9 5.19 6 5.93 JK JS JR SS PhA TyL Fig. 1. Amounts of copper in bottom deposits with Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steudel. [PhA] and Typha latifolia (L.) [TyL] (mg kg 1 d.m.) Rys. 1. Zawartość miedzi w osadach dennych przy Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steudel. [PhA] i Typha latifolia (L.) [TyL] (mg kg 1 s.m.) The sources of water ecosystems contamination in industrial areas are mostly mining and metallurgy. In large cities where, for example, the tradition of galvanization technique (as a craft) is still continued, copper can originate from the sewage produced in the area. In agricultural landscapes higher inflows of copper to water reservoirs may exist after the application of plant protection compounds which can contain Cu. Sometimes chemical compounds containing Cu are added to water reservoirs in order to remove excess of algae. The sources of copper in the analysed recreational areas may be of another character. Copper is a metal which is very popular in private house building. Some of the examined reservoirs are located not far from housing estates where there are many buildings with copper water mains and gutter pipes and roof covering. Atmospheric conditions can accelerate the formation of patina [(CuOH) 2 CO 3 ]. Sometimes heavy rainfall may wash out this chemical compound to reservoirs situated nearby. In the examined
DISTRIBUTION OF COPPER IN RECREATIONAL RESERVOIRS... 69 areas two of the above-mentioned recreational reservoirs (SL and SP) are in a close vicinity of such sources of copper. Seasonal Cu analysis showed an increase in concentration of this metal in April, July and October in bottom deposit with Typha latifolia (L.) in Strzeszyńskie Lake and Sołacki Pond, as well as in sediment with Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin ex. Steudel in Strzeszyńskie Lake in October (Tab. 2). According to Lis and Pasieczna [2005], water sediments are enriched in copper as a result of anthropogenic impact connected with municipal and industrial activity. Table 2. Seasonal content of copper in bottom deposits of examined water reservoirs (mg kg 1 d.m.) Tabela 2. Sezonowa zawartość miedzi w osadach dennych badanych zbiorników (mg kg 1 s.m.) Water reservoirs Zbiornik wodny Kierskie Lake Jezioro Kierskie Strzeszyńskie Lake Jezioro Strzeszyńskie Rusałka Lake Jezioro Rusałka Sołacki Pond Staw Sołacki Reservoirs Zbiorniki Bottom deposit with examined plants Osad denny przy badanych roślinach Phragmites australis (Cav.) Typha latifolia (L.) Trin ex. Steudel. Month Miesiąc IV VII X IV VII X 2.71 3.16 9.93 3.39 4.04 1.91 4.12 4.10 16.33 23.20 23.30 25.30 5.47 5.23 4.87 5.89 5.99 6.25 6.09 6.33 5.37 46.50 45.90 51.40 4.59 4.70 9.12 19.74 19.80 20.21 Concentrations of Cu in water reservoirs and the content of this metal in sediments, plants and other living organisms may depend on the quantity of copper in surrounding soils. The analysis of copper contents in areas surrounding the examined reservoirs showed the highest amounts of this element in soils located near Sołacki Pond (Fig. 2). According to Lis and Pasieczna [2005], anthropogenic concentration of copper in soils is the highest in the part of Poznań city with a densely built-up residential area, and contamination degree increases in the direction of the city centre. In towns the most polluted soils are in parks (5-27 mg kg 1 ) and lawns (2-45 mg kg 1 ). The amounts of copper accumulated in surface layer of soil percolate down the depth of the soil profile, reaching even up to 97 mg kg 1 at a depth of 0.4-0.6 meter. 30 20 21.92 10 0 5.14 3.45 3.45 3.74 3.88 3.62 2.83 2.27 2.74 Fig. 2. Content of copper in soils surrounding the examined reservoirs (mg kg 1 d.m.) Rys. 2. Zawartość miedzi w glebach otaczających badane zbiorniki (mg kg 1 s.m.) 7.79 KL SL RL SP April 7.98 Kwiecień July Lipiec October Październik
70 Bogdan Karlik et al. CONCLUSIONS 1. The differences in the amounts of copper in structural parts of the examined water ecosystems resulted not only from the effect of biotic and abiotic factors, but may be connected with individual properties of plants growing in water reservoirs activity of metal uptake, relationship with other metals, created by protective mechanisms in plants as well as with the concentration of copper in water, bottom deposit and surrounding soils. In copper uptake by plants and other water organisms, the speciation of this metal is also important. Speciation strongly depends on water reaction in a reservoir and on the properties of dissolved organic matter. 2. On the basis of the obtained results of copper concentration in water reservoirs and the amounts of this metal in plants and sediments, it is possible to indicate the potential source of copper particularly in those reservoirs with higher concentrations of this metal (Strzeszyńskie Lake and Sołacki Pond). The study was supported by the Ministry of Science and Computer Technology, Grant No 2 P06S 06126. REFERENCES Białkowska M., 1992: Mineral components. [In:] Maśliński S., RyŜewski J. (eds), Pathophysiology. PZWL, Warszawa, pp. 345-355 (in Polish). Domaniecki W., 2002: Cooper on the pasture. Poradnik Gosp., (1), 12 (in Polish). Karlik B., Szpakowska B., 1999: Occurrence of heavy metals in a field reservoir in the General Dezydery Chłapowski Lanscape Park. Biul. Park. Krajobr. Wielkopolski, 5(7), 159-163 (in Polish). Komosa A., 1998: Modern technologies in fertilization of horticultural plants. [In:] Wieś i rolnictwo Wielkopolski. AR, Poznań, PTS, Warszawa, pp. 238-243 (in Polish). Lis J., Pasieczna A., 2005: Geochemical Atlas of Poznań and the Vicinity. Państwowy Instytut Geologiczny, Warszawa, pp. 24 (in Polish). Pasieczna A., 2003: Atlas of Contamination of Urban Soils in Poland. Państwowy Instytut Geologiczny, Warszawa, pp. 83 (in Polish). WYSTĘPOWANIE MIEDZI W ZBIORNIKACH REKREACYJNYCH TERENÓW ZIELENI AGLOMERACJI WIELKOMIEJSKIEJ Streszczenie. Analizowano występowanie Cu w elementach strukturalnych zbiorników wodnych zlokalizowanych na terenach zieleni miejskiej miasta Poznania, o przeznaczeniu rekreacyjnym. Dokonano oceny stęŝeń miedzi w wodach oraz jej zawartości w osadach dennych, glebach otaczających zbiorniki oraz w częściach makrofitów z uwzględnieniem sezonu wegetacyjnego. Średnie roczne stęŝenia Cu w wodach wahały się od 5,32 do 6,85 µg dm 3. Zawartość Cu w roślinach i osadach zmieniała się od 2,38 do 10,1 mg kg 1 w zaleŝności od gatunku i części analizowanej rośliny. Ilości Cu w osadzie dennym (od 3,3 do 47,4 mg kg 1 ) uwarunkowane były lokalizacją zbiorników na terenach zieleni oraz miejscem pobierania próbek do analiz. Słowa kluczowe: miedź, zbiorniki rekreacyjne, rośliny wodne, osady denne, gleby