Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Case study: geochemical transformation of
saline mud (Secovelje Salina, northern Adriatic)
Kovac N (1) , Glavas N (1) , Dolenec M (2) , Rogan N (2)
(1) Marine Biology Station, National Institute of Biology, Piran, Slovenia
(2) University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, Department of
Geology, Ljubljana, Slovenia
kovac@mbss.org
Introduction and Objectives
The Secovlje Salina Nature Park (KPSS)1, including Secovlje Salina, is located
in south-western Slovenia and is important becouse of its aesthetic, cultural and
natural values. Today, the company Salt Production Co., Ltd2 protects and preserves
the natural and cultural heritage within KPSS and produces salt by using
centuries-old methods. Favourable climate conditions (high seasonal temperatures,
winds) for the solar evaporation of brine alow the seasonal fractional crystallization
leading to the production of NaCl through the evaporation and concentration of
seawater in crystallization basins. Beside salt, also thermal mud and brine are
important products usually used for aesthetic and therapeutic purposes. Despite the
centuries-old tradition of salt-making and thermal tourism, preparation of muds for
pelotherapy is mostly based on practical experiences. However, the last few years
the intense study of salt production processes and saline mud begun.3,4 A case
study of transformation of saline mud, tradditionaly characterized as the best peloid
material, from crystallization basin is presented.
Materials and Methods
Mud (uppermost 10-15 cm sediment) samples were taken from the corner of the
crystallizer basin monthly (2009: Mar-Sep and 2010: Apr-Oct) by hand using
polyethylene sample containers. The freeze-dried samples were used for elemental
(organic carbon, total nitrogen) and spectroscopic (FT-IR) analyses. Prior to geochemical
analyses, the samples were milled in an agate mortar to a particle size of