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Impact of man's activities on the chemical composition of the sediments of lakes superior and Huron

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Abstract

The concentrations of organic matter, major elements and trace elements were determined at 15 core locations in Lake Superior and Huron. The chemical compositions of the cores are related to sediment particle size, Eh, pH, chronology and location.

Concentrations of Si, Al, Ca, Mg, K, Na, and Ti, which represent the major mineral species in the sediments, are generally uniform in each core. Surface enrichments of Hg, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Cd, Cr, Be, V, As, Org-C, and N at many of the locations are attributed to anthropogenic inputs of these elements in recent years. Concentration profiles of Fe, Mn, P, and S are influenced by migration of these elements in the pore waters.

High anthropogenic Cu loadings in Lake Superior were related to Cu mining activities in the lake basin, while high anthropogenic inputs of Ni to the Lake Huron sediments were related to Ni contamination from the Sudbury area. Sediment loading calculations show that the anthropogenic inputs of trace and nutrient elements are related to the sedimentation rate, that the inputs are dispersed over wide areas of the lakes and that inputs to Lake Superior have increased significantly since 1955. Evidence is presented that atmospheric inputs are an important source of contaminants.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Canada Centre for Inland Waters, L7R 4A6, Burlington, Ontario, Ontario, Canada

    A. L. W. Kemp, J. D. H. Williams, R. L. Thomas & M. L. Gregory

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  1. A. L. W. Kemp
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  2. J. D. H. Williams
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  3. R. L. Thomas
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  4. M. L. Gregory
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Kemp, A.L.W., Williams, J.D.H., Thomas, R.L. et al. Impact of man's activities on the chemical composition of the sediments of lakes superior and Huron. Water Air Soil Pollut 10, 381–402 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00250005

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