The paper presents the results of heavy metals determination in samples of sedimentary rocks from the Mosina–Krajkowo water well field (Poland). The concentration of heavy metals was analysed by type of rock (sand, gravel, warp, silt, till, and clay). Variation of heavy metal concentrations with depth was studied taking into account the age series of the rocks (fluvial sediments of the modern Warta River valley, sediments of the Baltic Glaciation, tills of the Middle-Polish Glaciation, sediments of the Masovian Interglacial (Holstein), tills of the Poznań series) and granulometric fractions. The grain sizes considered included: >2.0, 2.0–1.0, 1.0–0.5, 0.5–0.25, 0.25–0.1, 0.1–0.063, and <0.063 mm. The concentrations of the heavy metals studied were found to change with the type of rock, age series, and granulometric fraction. The levels of the metals were determined by the technique of atomic absorption spectrometry with flame atomisation (F-AAS) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES).

The paper presents the results of determinations of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) in 24 samples of bottom sediments collected in six gauging cross-sections along the course of the Mala Welna river (western Poland). The samples were collected once a month from May to August 2006. The determinations were made separately in the following granulometric fractions: >2.0, 2.0-1.0, 1.0-0.5, 0.5-0.25, 0.25-0.1, 0.1-0.063, and <0.063 mm, using 3M HCl as the extraction agent. The concentrations of the heavy metals studied were lowest in the 0.5-0.25 and 0.25-0.1 mm fractions, and the highest in the 0.1-0.063 and <0.063 mm fractions, and also in the larger fraction. The determinations were made using atomic absorption spectrometry with flame atomization (F-AAS).

The paper presents the results of determinations of physico-chemical parameters of the Mała Wełna waters, a river situated in Wielkopolska voivodeship (Western Poland). Samples for the physico-chemical analysis were taken in eight gauging cross-sections once a month between May and November 2006. To assess the physico-chemical composition of surface water, use was made of multivariate statistical methods of data analysis, viz. cluster analysis (CA), factor analysis (FA), principal components analysis (PCA), and discriminant analysis (DA). They made it possible to observe similarities and differences in the physico-chemical composition of water in the gauging cross-sections, to identify water quality indicators suitable for characterising its temporal and spatial variability, to uncover hidden factors accounting for the structure of the data, and to assess the impact of man-made sources of water pollution.