Acta Scientiarum Polonorum

Abstract: The rate of chemical erosion in the Mielnica stream catchment in Trzebnica Hills was studied during the hydrological years 1999–2000. This small agricultural catchment is covered with loess soils, and the major part of its area is arable land. The research included meteorological, hydrological and bathometrical measurements and the chemical analyses of water and suspended sediment. The chemical composition of suspended sediment was found to affect the quality of surface water. The relationships between the concentrations of chemical components contained in water and those bound to sediment became closer when the amount of sediment increased in the stream. The chemical composition of sediment and the rate of chemical erosion showed a wide seasonal variation.