Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
4427386 | Environmental Pollution | 2007 | 10 Pages |
Ellasjøen receives contaminants from both atmospheric and biological transport (seabird guano). Historical trends of selected persistent organic pollutants and metals were determined by interpretation of down-core contaminant profiles in conjunction with sediment layer ages, determined by the 210Pb method. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane and metabolites (DDTs) increased from about 1930 until 1970 (max. sum PCBs 71.8 ng/g dry weight (dw), max sum DDTs 4.0 ng/g dw), declining afterwards to 46.4 ng/g dw and 1.6 ng/g dw, respectively. Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs) concentrations are increasing in Ellasjøen, reaching 0.73 ng/g dw in 2001. Hexabromocyclododekane (HBCD) was measured only in sediment from 1–2 cm depth (0.43 and 3.88 ng/g dw of α- and γ-HBCD, respectively). Most metals (As, Cd, Co, Ni and Zn) showed a similar pattern as PCBs. No clear trends were observed for Cr, Pb or V. Mercury (Hg) has increased gradually since the beginning of the industrial era.