| Affiliation: | (1) Institute of Geology and Geochemistry of Petroleum and Coal, Aachen University, Lochnerstr. 4–20, 52056 Aachen, Germany;(2) North-Rhine Westphalian Environment Agency, Wallneyer Str. 6, 45133 Essen, Germany |
| Abstract: | Organic-geochemical investigations were performed on layers of a dated sediment core taken from a riparian wetland of the Lippe river, Germany. The samples were collected from two distinct depth intervals representing sedimentation periods of 1944–1952 and 1972–1984, respectively. Comprehensive screening analyses by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed a complex mixture of anthropogenic contaminants. Here, we report the quantitative distribution of selected persistent lipophilic organic substances characterizing municipal as well as industrial emissions. Considering both geochemical and geochronological data, we deduced time-dependent information about industrial production and domestic effluents for the region investigated. In addition, usage and subsequent emission of characteristic pollutants into the riverine system were interpreted for both time periods monitored. |
