Sampling Strategies for Testing and Evaluation of Soil Contamination in Riparian Systems at the Tisza River Basin, Hungary

Abstract

During the year 2000, two significant pollution waves came from Romanian mines to Hungary and went along the Tisza River, causing serious damage to the ecosystem of the river. The first one, cyanide pollution, at the end of January had an instantaneous effect on the living system; the second, heavy‐metal pollution in March, resulted in a long‐term effect. The heavy‐metal pollution that arrived with floods had two results. On the one hand, increased water speed decreased the grade of sedimentation in the riverbed, and on the other hand, river flooding introduced contaminated water and sediment to the floodplain. After the withdrawal of the flood, a few centimeters of grey sediment remained in the floodplain. Subsequent floods in 2000 and 2001 resuspended and diluted the contaminated sediment on the floodplain. Heavy metals (primarily lead, zinc, cadmium) deposited on the floodplain may have a potential time bomb effect. The aim of this study was to investigate the copper, cadmium, zinc, and lead contamination and bio‐availability on the floodplain applying a novel sampling strategy.