Local to regional scale industrial heavy metal pollution recorded in sediments of large freshwater lakes in central Europe (lakes Geneva and Lucerne) over the last centuries (original) (raw)
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Journal of Paleolimnology, 2011
The intention of the European Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the national guidelines that implement the WFD is that present-day conditions and future management strategies are to be based on an understanding of reference conditions for the particular water body of interest. In the context of non-synthetic pollutants such as lead, mercury and cadmium, the criteria for a high ecological status are that “concentrations [are] within the range normally associated with undisturbed conditions”. How this normal range is to be defined is open to interpretation; for example, in Sweden reference conditions based on sediment records are defined as the conditions prior to modern industrialization, i.e. prior to the mid-1800’s. These pre-industrial reference conditions would correspond to sediments 15–30 cm depth. However, ‘reference conditions’ are not always synonymous with ‘natural background conditions’. Analyses of long sediment profiles from Swedish lakes and from a few other areas, however, have shown that pre-industrial pollution—at least with regard to lead—was extensive. Atmospheric lead pollution has its origin in antiquity, with a small, well-defined peak already during the Greek-Roman period 2,000 years ago. Sediments deposited 300–500 years in Sweden and Scotland, for example, show a dominance of pollution lead, and in some sediment records also cadmium and copper pollution was extensive. Thus, in order to characterize natural background concentrations of metals, long sediment profiles are needed to reach sediments unaffected by pollution (>3,000 years BP); this can correspond to sediments below 50 cm in some lakes, but in others sediments below 300 cm or more.
Scientific Reports, 2022
This paper presents the state and spatial distribution of surface sediment contamination of 77 lakes in Poland by Cr, Ni, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cu. The analyzed lakes were located within a network of nature protection areas in the territory of the European Union (EU). Spatial distribution of the heavy metals (HMs), factors favoring the delivery/accumulation of HMs in surface sediments, and pollution sources were analyzed. The results indicate the contamination of lake sediments by HMs, but the potentially toxic effects of HMs are only found in single lakes. The spatial distribution of Cr indicates predominant impacts of point sources, while for Pb, Ni, and Zn, the impact of non-point sources. The analysis showed the presence of areas with very high values of particular HMs (hot spots) in the western part of Poland, while a group of 5 lakes with very low values of Ni, Pb, and Zn (cold spots) was identified in the central part of Poland. Principal component analysis showed that presence of wetlands is a factor limiting HMs inflow to lakes. Also, lower HMs concentrations were found in lake surface sediments located in catchments with a higher proportion of national parks and nature reserves. Higher HMs concentrations were found in lakes with a high proportion of Special Protection Areas designated under the EU Birds Directive. The positive matrix factorization analysis identified four sources of HMs. High values of HMs concentrations indicate their delivery from industrial, urbanized, and agricultural areas. However, these impacts overlap, which disturbs the characteristic quantitative profiles assigned to these pollution sources. Heavy metals (HMs) are considered as one of the most problematic environmental pollutants 1,2. It is linked to their persistence, non-biodegradability, toxicity, and bioaccumulation. Their origin in water bodies may be either natural (e.g. weathering of bedrock, volcanic eruptions) or anthropogenic (e.g. metal ores and coal mining, coal burning, industry, urbanization, sewage treatment, fertilization, atmospheric deposition from fossil fuel combustion, deforestation, tourism, aquaculture, fishery) 3-10. Dominant sources of HMs differ at the continental scale. In Africa, the dominant source of HMs is bedrock weathering, in North America mining and industry, and in Asia and Europe domestic wastewaters 11. According to the latest study results, sediments are dominated by elements primarily originating from anthropogenic sources 12-14. Many studies show that industrial sources generally have the greatest impact on HMs pollution 15. In urban lakes, the dominant sources are urban and industrial effluents; in rural areas, lakes are mainly supplied with agricultural runoff and domestic wastes 13. Lakes in protected areas are also exposed to the supply of HMs from anthropogenic sources 16-18. It results from the fact that these lakes' whose catchments are located beyond the protected areas. According to Cuculić et al. (2009), HMs in lake sediments in national parks are both of natural and anthropogenic origin. In lakes isolated from pollution sources, the pattern of HMs concentration is different than that in lakes subject to human pressure 19. Research conducted by Vukosav et al. 20 showed that lake sediments in the Plitvice Lakes National Park (Croatia) are generally not polluted with HMs. Also, sediment contamination has not been reported in Smolensk Lake National Park 21. According to the
Continuous sedimentary records of anthropogenic and natural trace elements determined by ICPMS, from 5 large and deep perialpine lakes from Central Europe (Switzerland), evidence the environmental impacts of industrial fossil fuel pollution. In fact, the greatest increase in heavy metal pollution was registered at all the studied sites following the European industrial revolution of ca. AD 1800; with the highest values during the middle part of the 20th century. On a regional scale, anthropogenic heavy metal input subsequently stopped increasing thanks to remediation strategies such as the implementation of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). On the other hand, the discharge of industrial treated wastewaters into Vidy Bay of Lake Geneva during the second part of the 20th century involved the sedimentation of highly contaminated sediments in the area surrounding the WWTP outlet pipe discharge; less than 4 km from the main supply of drinking water of Lausanne (127'000 hab.). Micr...
AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment, 2001
In the autumn of 1995, coordinated national lake surveys were conducted in the Nordic countries, including Russian Kola. The 11 metals (Pb, Cd, As, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Fe, Mn, Cr, V) investigated in nearly 3000 lakes have generally low concentrations and distinct geographical patterns. Direct and indirect influence of long-range transported air pollution is the major important factor for distribution of Pb, Cd, Zn and to a certain degree Co. Total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations in lakes are important for Fe and Mn but also to a certain degree for As, Cr and V. Bedrock geology is the major controlling factor for Cu and Ni, with the exception of areas around the smelters in the Kola peninsula, where the Cu and Ni concentrations in lakes are very high due to local airborne pollution. Bedrock and surficial geology is also an important factor for controlling the concentrations of As, Co, Cr and V. The results indicate that heavy metal pollution in lakes is a minor ecological problem on a regional scale in the Nordic countries.
Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 2016
Hungary is rich of natural values, but often the condition of them does not meet our expectations. Oxbow lakes and floodplain areas of the South-Plain represent very significant value, not only from landscape, ecological or national tourism point of view, but it is also important from conservation aspect. The scale and ecological risk of contaminations deducted on rivers that are trapped in floodplains, especially in beds of oxbow 15 lakes, can be judged by examining the sediment of the oxbow lakes. Though data from sludge analysis can provide information about the condition of the oxbow lakes, from which long-term processes or potential ruination of oxbow lakes can be concluded. In autumn 2011 we have collected samples of sediment from seven oxbow lakes of Lower-Tisza, out of these four were located in floodplain and three outside the dam. Following the suggested method of Commission of 20 the European Communities Bureau of Reference we analyzed the sample's arsenic, zinc, cadmium, lead, nickel, cobalt, manganese, chromium and copper content with four step BCR sequential extraction, in this way we defined the acid extractable, reducible, oxidisable and residual phases of the heavy metals can be found in the sediment. It can be stated in all fractions that the contamination matter content in floodplain oxbow lakes is higher than 25 outside the dam. Arsenic, manganese and zinc are present in the sediment of the oxbow lakes in an easily mobilizable form. Regarding the third fraction of arsenic a high metal proportion (15% < III. fraction < 55%) can be observed, whilst examining cadmium and in some cases manganese in specific oxbow lakes a high proportion of fraction one and two can be identified. Lead and chromium are present in a strongly bounded form (IV. fraction > 90%). During utilization and re-cultivation of oxbow lakes a close attention to be paid to elements in 30 an easily mobilizable form like arsenic, cadmium, zinc and manganese, as these elements can damage the natural vegetation, respectively can get into the food chain through fishing, irrigation or by outplacing sludge onto plough-land.
Environmental Geology, 2007
This article presents the results of a geochemical investigation of sediments from Lake Druzno (northern Poland), a reservoir fed by freshwater from the catchment, with periodic input of brackish water from Vistula Lagoon. This study analyzed the spatial variation in heavy metal content in surface sediments as well as the temporal changes in metal content in two sediment cores dated using the 210 Pb method. In the surface sediments, the highest metal concentrations were recorded in the northern part of the lake, with lower concentrations in the central and southern parts. Absolute values of metal concentrations in the cores were low, but normalization with respect to Al showed an increase during the second half of the 20th century. Mean enrichment factors (EF) in sediments from the second half of the 20th century ranged from insignificant (1-1.2) for Fe to (1.55-3.3) for Cu, Cd, Pb and Zn. The sediments deposited before 1950 had lower EF values (>1.5) and had low variability. Results from both the surface sediments and the cores indicate that the main source of lake pollution is brackish water intrusion from the Vistula Lagoon via the contaminated River Elbląg.
History of heavy metal pollution in Finland as recorded by lake sediments
Science of The Total Environment, 1989
Profiles of heavy metals and major metals were determined in sediment cores from 18 small, headwater drainage and seepage lakes in Finland. More than half of the lakes have recently been acidified. The results show an increase of Pb deposition starting in the early 1800s. Most of the Pb profiles show a levelling off or slight decrease in the deposition rate in the post-1980 sediments. The first signs of increases of Zn, Cd and Hg typically appear during the 1800s; a prominent increase in the sedimentation of these elements is typically confined to this century. Clear subsurface (2-5 cm) concentration maxima of Zn and Cd were observed in cores from many lakes in south Finland. The maxima are not related to changes in emission and atmospheric deposition. Subtraction of the background fluxes from the total fluxes of the 1980s gives the following percentages for atmospheric deposition: Pb, 74-97% of the total; Cd, 62-91%; Zn, 39-91%; and Hg, 70-89%. These figures apply to southern and central Finland, areas that also have the highest deposition of acidic compounds. In northern Finland the increase in deposition starts later and has remained smaller than in the south. About half of the profiles of Cu and V and a third of the Ni profiles showed increased accumulation, typically after 1950. Recent increases in the concentration and accumulation rates of Na, K and Mg, observed in most cores in southernmost Finland, may also be of atmospheric origin. This is suggested by the chemistry of bulk deposition.
Minerals, 2021
Geochemical and lithological parameters of sapropel in lakes, combined with pollen data and radiocarbon 14C dating, contain a wide spectrum of environmental information. This includes records of fluctuations of water level and changes of conditions of sedimentation, accumulation of organic matter and chemical elements due to climate change, human impacts and other environmental changes. Rising concentrations of hazardous substances in the natural sediments are likely to be a high risk to the natural environment. At the same time, they can greatly reduce opportunities for environmental engineering of lakes. Four lakes with different trophic states and anthropogenic pressures were chosen for this study in Lithuania. Higher concentrations of elements like Cr, Cu and Zn were not only detected in the top most layers of sapropel but also in deeper layers and are attributed to lithogenic association of trace elements in such deep layers. Concentrations of Pb were detected only in upper lay...