Quality of Bottom Sediments of Midfield Ponds and Their Evaluation for the Potential Threat of the Aquatic Environment

The study aimed at the evaluation of the quality of bottom sediments and evaluation of potential threat to the aquatic environment. Cadmium, cobalt, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, zinc and mercury concentration in the separate layers of the sediments in the pond at Żelisławiec decreased with the depth of bottom sediments. On the other hand, the highest concentrations of the studied elements occurred in the deepest layer of sediments in the pond at Stare Czarnowo. The level of the potential ecological risk (PER) for the sediments of the Żelisławiec pond classifies them as sediments with low quality of the potential ecological risk, whereas the sediments from the pond at Stare Czarnowo are classified as moderate level of the potential ecological risk. In both ponds, the highest I_geo values were reported for zinc and lead.