Sediment distribution and trace metals contaminations in Neretva Channel (Croazia)

The Neretva is the largest river of the eastern part of the Adriatic basin. Its catchment area is very broad and includes territories belonging to Bosnia, Herzegovina and, at the lowest reaches, Croazia. The river crosses areas exploited for agricultural, industrial and urban activities. Because of this, can become particularly severe given the location in karst area where erosion has already reached the geological base. The Neretva is characterized by a large amount of sediment that flows to the Adriatic sea into a narrow semi-enclosed basin, named Neretva Channel, located along the southernmost part of the Croatian coast. In order to contributeto the elevation of the distribution and the preservation potential of sedimentary deposits, the present study aims to trace the distribution of the Neretva River particle input toward the Adriatic Sea, in particular those associated to metal aggregates, and to follow their spatial vs. time distribution, using a suite of biogeochemical proxies like total and organic carbon, radiochemical data of delta 13 and distribution of some metals 1 Introduction Coastal areas are the places where the peculiarities of land-sea transition systems emerge more clearly, in terms of chemical, physical and biological changes, and where most human pressure occurs. Particles, which accumulate in marine sediments, originate from a combination of river discharge, runoff of agricultural soils, roads and urban settlements plus atmospheric dry and wet deposition. In these areas, the sediment composition is mainly controlled by local geology, but can also reflect anthropogenic discharge from industrial and urban activities, thus enhancing concentrations of both organic matter and metals. [1]. Eastern Adriatic coast, from Croatia to Albania, is a typical transgressional environment formed during the Late Pleistocene