Trace metal distribution in aquatic systems studied by PIXE analysis of water and sediment

The PIXE technique is used to measure trace metal concentrations in water and sediment samples collected in the Venice Lagoon (northern Italy) to investigate pollution progress and metal distribution mechanisms. The metal enrichment in suspended particulates has been evaluated in a test area of the Lagoon, along the stream of an inflowing river and at its mouth, in order to study the effect of water mixing and retarded hydrodynamics on metal transfer and sedimentation phenomena.