Baltic Sea sediments Dennis Bunke Thomas Leipe, Olaf Dellwig, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

15/09/2016

Spatial and temporal pollution patterns in western Baltic Sea sediments

Dennis Bunke Thomas Leipe, Olaf Dellwig, Marion Abraham, Matthias Moros & Helge W. Arz

dennis.bunke@io-warnemuende.de

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns

15/09/2016

 Surrounded by 9 highly industrialised countries  Anthropogenic impact by commercial use (fishery, maritime traffic & constructions)  Industry & agriculture still main sources of contamination through river discharge & air pollution (HELCOM, 2011)

• Heavy metals (e.g., Hg, Pb, Zn)
• Organic pollutants (e.g., PCBs, PAHs,
• rganotin compounds)
• Artificial radionuclides

(e.g., 137Cs, 241Am) Introduc

• duction:

ion: Baltic c Sea

2

(HELCOM, 2006)

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns

15/09/2016

 Eastern Gotland Basin:  Only reasonable in areas with continuous sedimentation and limited post-depositional disturbance (like Gotland Basin) Introduc

• duction:

ion: Pollution ution history

3

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns

15/09/2016

 Shallow mud basins (up to 50 m deep) esp. influenced by storms and saline water inflows Study dy area: Western n Baltic c Sea

4

EMB058/ 58/6-2 WD: 42 m m

Data source: iowtopo2, Seifert et al. (2001)

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns Pollut ution

• n reconst

struc uction

• n

15/09/2016

 Arkona Basin:  Mono- & diorganotin compounds as stabilising additive in PVC (1940ies)  Tributyltin (TBT) in antifouling paints for marine vessels (1960ies)  TBT accumulates in marine

• rganisms and causes endocrine

disorders, e.g., in molluscs

• 1989: ban for boats < 25 m
• 2008: total ban

 UV photolysis and microbial activity degrades TBT to DBT and MBT (half-live of up to 10 years in sediments)

5

EMB058/6-2 WD: 42 m

Master’s thesis of Lina Westphal (2015)

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns

15/09/2016

 Strong wind and wave induced resuspension and sediment transport Study dy area: Mecklenbur nburg Bight

6

EMB058/ 58/2-2 WD: 22 m

Data source: iowtopo2, Seifert et al. (2001)

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns Pollut ution

• n reconst

struc uction

• n

15/09/2016

 Mecklenburg Bight:  Nearly parallel profiles due to biological and physical sediment mixing processes

• General pollution trends and inventory calculations

7

EMB058/2-2 WD: 22 m

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns

15/09/2016

 Direct anthropogenic impact by bottom trawling Study dy area: Arkona na Basin

8

EMB058/ 58/15 15-2 WD: 46 m

Data source: iowtopo2, Seifert et al. (2001)

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns Pollut ution

• n reconst

struc uction

• n

15/09/2016

 Arkona Basin:  No decline towards surface due to strong (anthropogenic?) sediment mixing processes

9

EMB058/15-2 WD: 46 m

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns Recent pollut ution

• n

15/09/2016

 SECOS: The service of sediments in German coastal seas (e.g., storage of contaminants)  Geochemical mapping of surface sediments (0-2 cm)

10

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns

15/09/2016

 Dumping sites in Mecklenburg Bight (smelter waste) and Arkona Basin (presumably from WWII)  Geochemical “aureoles” indicate general sediment transport from west to east Recent pollut ution:

• n: Mercury

11

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns Recent pollut ution:

• n: Mercury

15/09/2016

 Oder Lagoon acts as stopover of pollutants from former highly polluted Oder River  Ongoing transport of (old) contaminated material from Oder Lagoon to open Baltic Sea

12

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns Recent pollut ution:

• n: Zinc

15/09/2016

 Similar patterns for other heavy metals

13

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns Recent pollut ution:

• n: Organot
• tin

n compounds

• unds

15/09/2016

 Highest concentrations near local Hg hot spots in MB and AB

14

Spatia ial l and tempora

• ral pollut

ution

• n patterns

ns

15/09/2016

Concl clusi usion

• n

15

 Anthropogenic induced contaminants provide insights into pollution history since pre-industrial times  Parallel Hg and 137Cs measurements useful to assess suitability of event stratigraphy and 210Pb dating for certain sediment cores  Sediments from western Baltic Sea basins only partly suitable for dating due to natural and anthropogenic sediment mixing processes  Dumping sites appearing as hot spots surrounded by aureoles of contaminated material

• General sediment transport from west to east

 Contaminated sediments from the Oder Lagoon still source of pollution

Tha hank nk you u for r your ur at atte tent ntio ion!