The Legacy of the Idrija Mine Twenty-Five Years after Closing: Is Mercury in the Water Column of the Gulf of Trieste Still an Environmental Issue?

Elena Pavoni, Elisa Petranich, Sergio Signore, Giorgio Fontolan and Stefano Covelli
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Elena Pavoni: Dipartimento di Matematica e Geoscienze, Università Degli Studi di Trieste, Via Weiss 2, 34128 Trieste, Italy
Elisa Petranich: Dipartimento di Matematica e Geoscienze, Università Degli Studi di Trieste, Via Weiss 2, 34128 Trieste, Italy
Sergio Signore: Autorità di Sistema Portuale del Mare Adriatico Orientale-Porto di Trieste, Via Karl Ludwig Von Bruck 3, 34144 Trieste, Italy
Giorgio Fontolan: Dipartimento di Matematica e Geoscienze, Università Degli Studi di Trieste, Via Weiss 2, 34128 Trieste, Italy
Stefano Covelli: Dipartimento di Matematica e Geoscienze, Università Degli Studi di Trieste, Via Weiss 2, 34128 Trieste, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 19, 1-20

Abstract: Mercury (Hg) contamination in the Gulf of Trieste (northern Adriatic Sea) due to mining activity in Idrija (Slovenia) still represents an issue of environmental concern. The Isonzo/So?a River’s freshwater inputs have been identified as the main source of Hg into the Gulf, especially following periods of medium-high discharge. This research aims to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of dissolved (DHg) and particulate (PHg) Hg along the water column in the northernmost sector of the Gulf, a shallow and sheltered embayment suitable for the accumulation of fine sediments. Sediment and water samples were collected under unperturbed and perturbed environmental conditions induced by natural and anthropogenic factors. Mercury in the sediments (0.77–6.39 µg g ?1 ) and its relationship to grain size were found to be consistent with previous research focused on the entire Gulf, testifying to the common origin of the sediment. Results showed a notable variability of DHg (Keywords: mercury; sediments; water column; suspended particulate matter (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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