Trends in the Water Chemistry of High Altitude Lakes in Europe

Here we present the chemical trends of seven high altitude lakes, analysed within the AL:PE and MOLAR Projects of the EU (1999) and selected on the basis of the availability of complete and reliable data for the period 1984–1999. The lakes are representative of the Scandinavian Alps, the Cairngorm Mountains in Scotland, the Alps and the Pyrenees. Significant trends were identified for some indicators of acidification, for instance pH and alkalinity, but not all lakes reacted similarly to decreasing depositions of sulphate and base cations. Differences in lake response are discussed in relation to recent variations of atmospheric deposition chemistry and associated changes in climatic conditions. Beside individual variations of the studied lakes, depending, among other things, on altitude and morphology, catchment characteristics and climate trends play a major role for the reaction of high altitude lakes on changes in atmospheric depositions.     

Age dependence of the accumulation of organochlorine pollutants in brown trout (Salmo trutta) from a remote high mountain lake (Redó, Pyrenees)

Polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and DDT were examined in the muscle of brown trout (Salmo trutta) from a high mountain lake located in the Pyrenees (Catalonia, Spain) that was used as a model of these lacustrine environments. Results indicate that fish age is the main factor of variability among specimens in this population that is subjected to atmospheric inputs of the organochlorine compounds (OC). Increases of 2- and 20-fold between fish aged 1 year and 15 years old are found. The observed pattern cannot be explained in terms of fish size, condition factor, or muscle lipid content. Higher molecular weight compounds (higher lipophilicity) are better correlated with fish age than low molecular weight compounds. A transformation from 4,4'-DDT to 4,4'-DDE occurs in fish after ingestion; this results in amplified age-dependent signals, especially in male specimens. In contrast, PCB congener #180 has lower age dependence than the general OC group, which could be due to its high hydrophobicity (log K(ow) > 7). In any case, selective accumulation of hydrophobic compounds is already observed among younger fish (age, 1 year). Due to this effect, the relative OC composition does not reflect the main OC pollutants in the lake waters.     

Emissions of reduced sulphur compounds from the surface of primary and secondary wastewater clarifiers at a Kraft Mill

Emissions of reduced sulphur compounds (RSCs) from the primary and secondary clarifiers at a Kraft mill were measured for respectively 8 and 22 days using a floating flux chamber. In the primary clarifier, dimethyl disulphide (DMDS) had the highest mean flux (0.83 microg s(-1) m(-2)) among all RSCs, and the mean flux of total reduced sulphur (TRS) was 1.53 microg s(-1) m(-2). At the secondary clarifier, dimethyl sulphide (DMS) had the highest mean flux (0.024 microg s(-1) m(-2)), and the mean flux of total reduced sulphur (TRS) was 0.025 microg s(-1) m(-2). Large variations in fluxes as a function of sampling date were observed in both clarifiers. Emission fluxes of DMS from the secondary clarifier were correlated with temperature in the flux chamber and with the biological and chemical oxygen demands (BOD and COD) of the wastewater. Emission rates of RSCs from the clarifiers were found to be insignificant by comparison with other mill sources.     

Modelling the dynamic air-water-sediment coupled fluxes and occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls in a high altitude lake

The BIODEP model in terms of atmosphere-lake interactions was developed. The model was applied to an oligotrophic, dimictic high altitude lake (Lake Redo, Pyrenees) for a range of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. High altitude lakes, which receive their contaminant inputs uniquely from the atmosphere through long-range atmospheric transport, provide ideal controlled environments for the study of the interactions between atmospheric depositional and water column biogeochemical processes. The BIODEP model was able to predict dissolved water concentrations and PCB accumulation in the lake sediment within a factor of 2. This shows that the BIODEP model captures the essential processes driving the sink of POPs in high altitude lakes and that POP occurrence in the lake is driven by direct atmospheric inputs with limited influence from the watershed. An important seasonal variability in water column concentrations is predicted which should have important implications in sampling strategies. Furthermore, it is shown that diffusive air-water exchange dominated the PCB dynamics in the lake, especially for the less chlorinated biphenyls.     

Differential accumulation of mercury and other trace metals in the food web components of a reservoir impacted by a chlor-alkali plant (Flix, Ebro River, Spain): Implications for biomonitoring

Comparative studies of biomonitors of trace metal contamination are relatively scarce. We took advantage of a point source pollution in a reservoir (Flix, Spain) to compare trace metal (Hg, Pb, Cd, Se, As, Zn, Cu, Cr) bioaccumulation patterns among 16 food web components. Our results indicate that most organisms are suitable for Hg biomonitoring, whereas other metals are better monitored by only some of them. Biofilms and zebra mussel were the organisms with larger and more diverse biomonitoring capacity. However, we show that using groups of biomonitors increase the scope and strengths of the conclusions and specific goals can be better addressed. We conclude providing an overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the main organisms considered for biomonitoring trace metals in rivers and reservoirs.     

Altitudinal distributions of BDE-209 and other polybromodiphenyl ethers in high mountain lakes

The present study shows the occurrence of 2,2′,3,3′,4,4′,5,5′,6,6′-decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) in microbial biofilms of Pyrenean and Tatra high mountain lakes despite its low vapor pressure and high hydrophobicity. Aerosol air transport is therefore a feasible mechanism for BDE-209 accumulation in sites up to 2688 m above sea level. This compound and other PBDEs exhibit altitudinally-dependent distribution involving higher concentrations with increasing mountain lake elevation. However, the apparently very high enthalpies of the concentration gradients observed, including BDE-209, suggest that bacterial anaerobic debromination also plays a significant role in the resulting altitudinal distributions. This microbial mechanism explains the relative abundances of PBDEs and their within lake differences between rocky and sediment microbial biofilms, thereby showing that the altitudinal pattern observed is not purely due to water temperature control on bacterial activity but also to changes in the availability of anaerobic microenvironments which increase with increasing lake productivity at lower altitudes.     

Use of alkaline extraction to quantify sulfate concentration in oxidized mine tailings

An alkaline extraction method has been developed for the determination of total sulfate in mine tailings containing secondary sulfate minerals formed by the oxidation of primary sulfides. Oxidized tailings were extracted with a 0.3 M NaOH solution at a liquid/solid ratio of 30 at room temperature for 16 h. The sulfate concentration in the extracts was determined by ion chromatography (IC). The coefficient of variation for sulfate determinations ranged from 1.9 to 3.2% for five tailings samples collected at two tailings impoundments. Mineralogical analysis of the tailings by scanning electron microscopy/X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (SEM/EDS) demonstrated that the extraction of sulfate was complete, with the exception of extremely insoluble barite. The proposed method is simple, yields an accurate yet rapid measurement of sulfate, and involves a safer laboratory operation than conventional methods that make use of strong HCl acid solutions. Moreover, this method allows the specific measurement of sulfate in the extract, whereas conventional methods are generally limited to the measurement of total S by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) due to the interference of chloride with sulfate in IC.