Geochemical Comparison of Stream and Overbank Sediments: A Case Study from the Žumberak Region, Croatia

Abstract

Geochemical comparison between the stream and overbank sediments from low- to medium-order drainage basins is grounded on the presupposed statistical contradistinction of their locality-paired sample correlatives. Discriminant analysis differentiated the overbank from stream material mainly on account of higher content of most of the analyzed elements in the former vis-a-vis an otherwise common geochemical semblance. Only the carbonate material seems to be depleted in overbank sediment samples. Investigations also demonstrated that in the relatively non-contaminated area it may be more difficult to verify the supposed purity-contamination reciprocity between the investigated media, since the recent and prehistoric materials were not contrasted as regards their non-lithogenic components.