Metal concentration and particle size distribution of stream and river water polluted from copper rolling mill industry

Concentrations of heavy metals, pH, and particle size distribution parameters were measured in Dragica stream and Djetinja River water receiving wastewaters from copper rolling mill industry, Sevojno. The concentrations of copper, zinc, lead, and mercury were determined for water samples collected in summer 2009. It was found that Copper Rolling Mill Sevojno was the significant source of water pollution with copper and zinc. Considering that copper rolling mill industry, one of the larger emitters of sulfur dioxide, pollutes the area, the water pH was surprisingly alkaline. The particle size analysis results showed that particles from oil-in-water emulsion evidently got into stream water in spite of the purification devices used. In order to assess the possible relations between the measured parameters, a correlation analysis was performed. The correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between the total metal concentrations of copper and zinc, as well as between particle size distribution parameters and the concentration of lead and copper.