High-resolution reconstruction of the 20th century history of trace metals, major elements, and organic matter in sediments in a contaminated area of Lake Geneva, Switzerland

Abstract

Toxic trace metals in lacustrine sediments are of major concern since they can be hazardous to biota and human health. A high-resolution multiproxy study, including trace metals and major elements (measured by ICP-MS and XRF), total organic carbon, mineral carbon, Hydrogen Index, Oxygen Index, and C/N ratios, was performed on a sediment core from Vidy Bay in Lake Geneva. This bay has been affected by hazardous compounds released via the sewage effluent of a major wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Anthropogenic trace metals, such as Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, and Hg, increased following the industrial revolution in Europe. The highest amounts of these toxic metals, together with Ni, Cr, Co, Ag, Bi, and Fe, were recorded in sediments from 1964, the date of the WWTP implementation. During this period, all trace elements exceeded the sediment quality guideline “probable effect concentration” (PEC), with the following maximum concentrations (in mg /kg): Pb 4000, Cd 23, Cu 1200, Zn 8600, Hg 11, Ni 140, Cr 270, Ag 130, and Bi 310. The geochemistry of detrital elements (Al, Si, Ca, Ti, K, Zr, Rb, and Sr), as well as S, Fe, P, and the nature and quality of organic matter were clearly also affected by the effluent. The sedimentary record revealed that, after some improvements in the wastewater treatment processes and the relocation of the outlet pipe, the sediments tended to return to concentrations similar to those prevailing before the WWTP implementation. However, despite the reduction in the contamination load from the WWTP, which could be reinforced with the construction of a new plant in the near future, the sediments deposited in Vidy Bay represent a major contaminant legacy that constitutes a potential threat to the lake biota in the case of sediment remobilization

Diversity, Functions and Antibiotic Resistance of Sediment Microbial Communities From Lake Geneva Are Driven by the Spatial Distribution of Anthropogenic Contamination

“…The magnitude of these effects depends on the types and the concentrations of contaminants in the sediments. All contaminant concentrations measured in the present study are in agreement with previous findings ( Haller et al, 2011 ; Gascon Diez et al, 2014 ; Masson and Tercier-Waeber, 2014 ; Gascón Díez et al, 2017 ; Loizeau et al, 2017 ). In addition, our results also revealed high concentrations of PAH (>13.5 μg kg –1 dw) in sediments collected at site 36.…”

“…The high contamination of sediments in this area has been documented for decades ( Grandjean et al, 1990 ; Poté et al, 2008 ; Loizeau et al, 2013 ; Gascon Diez et al, 2014 ; Masson and Tercier-Waeber, 2014 ). This is mainly due to historic inputs from urban sewage effluents ( Gascón Díez et al, 2017 ), which is also reflected by the prevalence of fecal-indicator bacteria ( Poté et al, 2008 ) and antibiotic-resistance genes ( Czekalski et al, 2014 ). The contamination has been suggested as an important driver of microbial community structure ( Haller et al, 2011 ).…”

Trace metal enrichment during the Industrial Period recorded across an altitudinal transect in the Southern Central Pyrenees

“…An increasing awareness in the emission trends of mercury, lead and cadmium is developing during the last decades since they are priority contaminants within various international programs aiming at the reduction of environmental and human exposure to air pollution (Pacyna et al, 2009). Although these trace metals are also released to the atmosphere from natural sources (soil and rock dust, natural forest fires, sea spray, volcanism), anthropogenic emissions such as fossil fuel combustion, waste incineration and metallurgy and/or industrial processes are by far the primary pollution source since historical times (Amos et al, 2013(Amos et al, , 2015Martinez-Cortizas et al, 1999;Nriagu, 1996;Gascón-Díez et al, 2017). Mining and smelting activities have been the main anthropogenic sources of atmospheric emissions of trace metals -including Cu, Pb, Hg, Cd and Zn -at a global scale (Dudka and Adriano, 1997;Hylander and Meili, 2003).…”

Spatial distribution, bioavailability, and toxicity of metals in surface sediments of tropical reservoirs, Brazil

“…There are three main processes that control the level of copper in the water column, namely complexation, precipitation, and adsorption (Flemming and Trevors 1989), with action of a variety of ligands (hydroxyl and carbonate ions; nitrogen species; phosphates; organic matter; Fe, Mn, and Al hydrous oxides; sulfides; clay minerals) (Chapman et al 1999;US EPA 2005;Díez et al 2017). The speciation and solubility of Cu is dependent mainly on organic matter, pH, and Eh (Sauvé et al 1996).…”