Abstract
Twenty nine lakes were sampled on a 62 km long west-east transect near Bergen, Norway from Sotra in the west to Norheimsund in the east. Top and bottom samples of 29 sediment cores, 20–40 cm long, were collected and 17 chemical elements were measured. Sphaeroidal carbonaceous particles from fossil fuel origin were counted in the surface sediments. The study was designed to answer two questions: (1) Does lake-sediment composition reflect variations in local atmospheric pollution? (2) What factors explain the observed variation in concentration of chemical elements along this transect? Ca, Cr, Mg, and Ni concentrations along the transect appear to result from differences in the content of these elements in bedrock. Hg, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the top sediments are dominated by input from anthropogenic sources. Variation of Cd, Fe, and Zn in the top sediments seems to be dependent on variation in lake-water pH. Hg and Zn from anthropogenic sources probably result from long-transported pollution. Pb and carbonaceous particles from anthropogenic sources possibly have a local origin.
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Larsen, J., Boyle, J.F. & Birks, H.J.B. Variation in the geochemistry of recent lake sediments along a west east pollution gradient in the Bergen area, Norway. Water Air Soil Pollut 88, 47–81 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00157413
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00157413