We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
115 years of sediment deposition in a reservoir in Central Europe: Effects of the industrial history and environmental protection on heavy metals and microplastic
Summary
Researchers analyzed 115 years of sediment layers in a German reservoir to track historical patterns of heavy metal and microplastic pollution. They found that heavy metal contamination peaked during the industrial era and declined after environmental regulations were enacted, while microplastics appeared only in more recent decades. The study provides a long-term historical record showing how industrial activity and environmental policy have shaped pollutant accumulation over more than a century.
Abstract Humans have considerably influenced accumulation rates and sediment composition in lake deposits. Due to near‐continuous accumulation, lakes and reservoirs are an excellent archive of these anthropogenic influences. The Urft Reservoir in the Eifel Mountains, western Germany, provides a unique record of the human influence on the landscape for the past 115 years. In 2020 and 2021, 24 cores and 23 surface samples were obtained from the bottom of the, by that time drained, reservoir. Grain size, heavy metals, weathering signatures and microplastic were analysed. For the chronology, caesium‐137 and microplastic were used. Using the first occurrence of microplastic as well as different plastic types for dating was not successful. However, a distinct layer with a high number of microplastic particles could be traced back to a fire in 1991 and was used as an additional stratigraphic marker in the age‐depth model. A period of relatively high accumulation rates in the reservoir occurred in the mid‐1950s and was related to enhanced construction works in the local valleys. Analysis of heavy metal content in the reservoir sediments shows a strong connection to historical changes in ore industry in the valley of the Urft. Stricter environmental protection laws and the decline of the metal processing industry resulted in a reduced input of lead, copper and zinc in the reservoir until the mid‐1980s. Since then, heavy metal content has remained relatively constant. A major flooding event in July 2021 did not lead to the remobilisation of older contaminated deposits as indicated by low heavy metal content in flood deposits. Accordingly, also the microplastic content is not increasing following the extreme event. Due to the degree of weathering of the flood deposits, it is argued that mainly hillslope material was transported into the Urft and subsequently into the Urft Reservoir during this event.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Reservoir sediments in central Europe as archives of human-environmental interaction during the past 115 years - the example of the Urft Reservoir
Researchers used sediment cores from the Urft Reservoir in Germany spanning 115 years to reconstruct how mining, land-use change, and industrial activity have shaped regional environmental contamination, including the emergence of microplastics in more recent sediment layers.
115 years of sediment deposition in the Urft reservoir (Eifel Mountains, western Germany)
Scientists analyzed 115 years of sediment layers in a German reservoir to track how industrial and human activities have changed environmental conditions over time. Sediment archives like this can reveal when microplastics first appeared in the environment and how their concentrations have changed.
Human-environment interactions in the Anthropocene – a case study on reservoir sediments in Central Europe
Researchers analyzed sediment cores from Central European reservoirs to reconstruct a century of changing sediment fluxes, heavy metal contamination, and microplastic inputs linked to human land use change and climate-driven erosion. Microplastics appeared in cores beginning in the mid-20th century, with accelerating accumulation rates tracking regional industrialization and plastic production growth.
Tracking the microplastic accumulation from past to present in the freshwater ecosystems: A case study in Susurluk Basin, Turkey
Researchers tracked the historical accumulation of microplastics in freshwater lake sediment cores, finding a steady increase in particle deposition corresponding to rising plastic production since the mid-20th century and demonstrating that sediment archives can reconstruct the timeline of freshwater microplastic pollution.
Retrospective trend analysis of biocides in suspended particulate matter of major German rivers
Researchers conducted a retrospective analysis of biocide contamination in suspended particles from major German rivers over two decades. While this study focused on chemical biocides rather than microplastics specifically, the findings provide context for understanding how persistent pollutants accumulate on particulate matter in waterways. The results revealed distinct temporal trends for different biocide classes, highlighting the value of long-term environmental specimen banking for monitoring emerging contaminants.