Assessing Temporal Trends of Water and Sediment Pollution Using Sediment Quality Guidelines and Pollution Indices: A Case Study Drini Bardhë River (Kosovo)

Studies on the temporal dynamics of water and sediment pollution by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in the Drini Bardhë River basin remain limited. This study evaluated temporal trends in water and sediment contamination using Sediment Quality Guidelines (SQGs) and pollution indices, including the Contamination Factor (CF), Pollution Load Index (PLI), Index of Geoaccumulation (Igeo), and Enrichment Factor (EF). Water and sediment samples were collected from ten sites, and PTE concentrations were determined by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (FAAS). Comparison with data from 2022 revealed increased sediment contamination, particularly for Ni, Cd, Cr, Pb, and Cu. CF indicated moderate contamination, with the highest value for Ni (2.02), while the maximum PLI (0.89) suggested an overall near-baseline pollution load. Igeo values ranged from unpolluted to moderately polluted conditions, whereas EF indicated minor to moderate anthropogenic enrichment, especially for Cu and Pb. Water quality assessment according to European Directives 75/440/EEC and 2008/105/EC showed that Ni (0.027 mg/dm³), Cr (0.102 mg/dm³), Mn (0.066 mg/dm³), Fe (0.591 mg/dm³), and Cu (0.232 mg/dm³) exceeded environmental quality standards. These findings indicate increasing pollution driven by both natural geochemical background and anthropogenic activities and provide a baseline for future monitoring and pollution management in the Drini Bardhë River basin.