Records of atmospheric delivery of pyrolysis-derived pollutants in recent mountain lake sediments of the Julian Alps (NW Slovenia)

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) Vol. 139; no. 3; pp. 461 - 468
• Main Authors: Muri, Gregor, Wakeham, Stuart G., Rose, Neil L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-02-2006; Elsevier
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Alps; Applied sciences; Black carbon; Carbon - analysis; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Fresh Water - chemistry; Freshwater; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Lacustrine sediments; Particle Size; Pollution; Pollution sources. Measurement results; Pollution, environment geology; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Soil and sediments pollution; Spheroidal carbonaceous particles; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Europe; Slovenia; Slovenia, Julian Alps; Alps; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Spheroidal carbonaceous particles; Black carbon; Lacustrine sediments; Carbonaceous materials; Lacustrine sediments: Alps; Atmospheric fallout; Hydrocarbon; Historical aspects; Soot; Combustion product; Lake sediments; Polycyclic aromatic compound; Persistent organic pollutant; Pollution; Depth profile; Pollution source; Organic compounds; Concentration distribution; Anthropogenic factor
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2005.06.002

The historical record of the input of pyrolysis-derived pollutants via the atmosphere, i.e. black carbon (BC), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCP) was measured in the sediments of three remote alpine lakes situated in the Julian Alps, northwest Slovenia. Parallel sedimentary trends for BC, PAH and SCP were observed across the Julian Alps and relationships among these contaminants are discussed. Inputs of these pyrolytic-contaminants to sediments of remote lakes started to rise at the end of the 19th century, while their peak inputs were observed in the mid-20th century, amounting up to 6.0
g
m
−2
yr
−1 for BC, 5200
×
10
4
m
−2
yr
−1 for SCP and 2900
μg
m
−2
yr
−1 for PAH. In the last two to three decades, inputs decreased substantially, by a factor of up to 3 for BC, 7 for SCP and at least 3 for PAH.
Fluxes of black carbon, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and spheroidal carbonaceous particles were determined in recent remote alpine lake sediments.