Comparative 210Pb, 137Cs,and pollen geochronologies of sediments from Lakes Ontario and Erie

The distribution of ²¹⁰Pb, ¹³⁷Cs, and Ambrosia (ragweed) pollen in two sediment cores from Lake Ontario and in three cores from Lake Erie provides independent estimates of sediment accumulation rates. Geochronology with ²¹⁰Pb is based on radioactive decay of the isotope following burial in sediments. The method can reveal with precision changes in sedimentation occurring over the past 100 yr or so. Geochronologies with ¹³⁷Cs and Ambrosia are based on the occurrence of a horizon corresponding, respectively, to the onset of nuclear testing 25 yr ago and to regional forest clearance in the middle 1800s. These methods provide estimates of long-term average sediment accumulation rates. In all but one core, the distributions of ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb indicate no physical mixing of near-surface sediments. In two cores, including one from central Lake Erie collected by diver, all three estimates of sedimentation rates are in excellent agreement. In two other cores, rates based on ²¹⁰Pb are significantly higher than those inferred from Ambrosia pollen profiles. Lower average rates appear to result from occasional massive losses of sediments. Such events, apparent in the distribution of ²¹⁰Pb but not in pollen records, correlate with the occurrence of major storm surges on the lakes during this century. In one core from western Lake Erie, exponential distributions of both ²¹⁰Pb and Ambrosia appear to be artifacts which may result from extensive biological or physical reworking of sediments in shallow water (11 m). Previous indications of increased sedimentation in Lake Erie since about 1935 based on Castanea (chestnut) pollen data are not substantiated.     

Anthropogenic inventories and historical and present accumulation rates of copper in Great Lakes sediments

Sediment cores were collected from depositional basins in lakes Michigan, Ontario and Superior to assess spatial and temporal variations in Cu accumulation rates and inventories. Sediment chronologies were determined via ²¹⁰Pb dating, and ²¹⁰Pb inventories were used to correct for the effects of sediment focusing. Among the lakes studied, Cu loading histories generally decrease to the present, signifying a regional reduction in the anthropogenic release of Cu to the environment. Focusing-corrected Cu accumulation rates in surficial sediments vary significantly within lakes Michigan and Ontario, suggesting that recent inputs of Cu to these 2 lakes may have been dominated by localized sources. Variations in Cu accumulation rates within Lake Superior are interpreted to be insignificant, suggesting either that Lake Superior is well-mixed with respect to copper inputs or that the lake is dominated by a single source for Cu. Recent measurements of atmospheric fluxes of Cu within the Great Lakes region generally indicate that the atmosphere accounts for less than 50% of the Cu accumulating in surficial sediments. Historical Cu accumulation rates from Lake Superior are poorly correlated with Cu production associated with local smelters, but favorably agree with national production rates. Trends in historical Cu accumulation rates within all 3 lakes may indicate that recent declines in Cu loading can be attributed to the enactment of stricter environmental regulations as well as changes in the use of Cu. Focusing-corrected Cu inventories in lakes Michigan, Ontario, and Superior are generally invariant within a given lake, indicating that, historically, these lakes have been dominated either by a single source or were well-mixed with respect to Cu inputs. The disparity between the results from recent accumulation rates and historical inventories may reflect differences in how the Great Lakes respond to contaminant loading on short (e.g. years) versus long (e.g. decades) timescales.     

Last-five-decade heavy metal pollution records from the Rewalsar Lake,Himachal Pradesh,India

The lakes of the Himalaya are degrading due to increase in toxic heavy metal loading. This study reports the last 50-year heavy metal pollution loading in the Rewalsar Lake, Himachal Pradesh, India. Sediment cores were recovered to study the pollution loading in the lake sediments. The ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb isotope-based sedimentation rate suggest rapid sedimentation in the lake during the last ~50 years. The concentrations of Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Co, Ni, Cr metals in the lake sediments owe its contributions both to the natural and anthropogenic sources. Prior to ca 1990 AD, metal loading was dominated by the lithogenic input, whereas post ca 1990 AD the metal loading was controlled by the anthropogenic factors. The Pb concentration in the lake gradually increased during 1990–2004 and then decreased significantly till present. The higher concentration of Pb seems to be derived from the fossil fuel burning, while the Cr concentration in the lake indicates the use of fertilizer in the catchment area. The lowest concentrations of elements around ca 1990 AD seem to have occurred due to channelization of the lake feeding system.     

Determination of recent deposition rates in Lake Constance with radioisotopic methods

Sedimentation rates were determined with the ²¹⁰Pb method in eight sediment cores from Lake Constance. The rate of deposition in the main basin (Obersee) varies from about 0.06 g cm^?2 y^?1 in the central part to 0.13 g cm^?2 y^?1 in the eastern part of the lake and then increases rapidly towards the Rhine delta. In the central lake area the rate of deposition has been approximately constant since 1900, and dating with the ²¹⁰Pb method is in good agreement with sedimentological observations. In the Konstanzer Trichter area, the deposition rate has been increasing since about 1955 as a result of eutrophication and subsequent high carbonate production. Dating with ¹³⁷Cs is fairly accurate for sediments deposited at a high rate, but is questionable for slowly accumulating ones. A positive correlation of ²¹⁰Pb fluxes and sedimentation rates indicates that ²¹⁰Pb flux into sediments follows the distribution pattern of solids. ²¹⁰Pb profiles in four sediment cores interpreted in terms of a constant flux model display synchronous fluctuations of the sedimentation rate; however, their relation to long-range particulate input variations remains to be proved. Sedimentation rates determined with the ²¹⁰Pb method were used to calculate recent nutrient and heavy metal fluxes. Anthropogenic fluxes of Zn and Pb are in the same range of magnitude as in other polluted areas in Europe and America.     

Accumulation and distribution of Hg and 210Pb in superficial sediments from a coastal lagoon in the SE Gulf of California associated with urban-industrial and port activities

The Estero de Urías Lagoon (EUL) is an inner shelf barrier coastal lagoon, located in the Mexican Pacific Coast (SE Gulf of California). It is surrounded by Mazatlán City, one of the most important international tourist areas of Mexico. To provide a comprehensive reassessment of the concentration levels and spatial variability of Hg and ²¹⁰Pb in the EUL, 40 surface sediment samples were analyzed for several geochemical variables (e.g. grain size distribution, organic matter and reference element concentrations) that could explain the observed variability of Hg and ²¹⁰Pb. The Hg concentrations ranged from 23 to 214 ng g^?1, whereas ²¹⁰Pb activities varied from 20 to 56 Bq kg^?1. No defined distribution pattern was observed for Hg and ²¹⁰Pb concentrations in the lagoon and no evidence of a common atmospheric delivery route was observed. The sediments from EUL were found contaminated by Hg, and according to international guidelines 48 % of the sampling sites have concentrations that could be harmful to biota.     

Radiocarbon age inversions and progression: source and causes in Late Holocene sediments from Lake Chapala,western Mexico

The results of eight radiocarbon datings of Lake Chapala sediments (site T46) are presented, the age inversions (AI) observed and their age progression discussed. As deduced from some AIs and the ²¹⁰Pb activity (site CHP4), the bioturbation zone in the lake varies over a depth of 5–25 cm. The linear sedimentation rates (LSRs) calculated from ¹⁴C ages do not match the LSR calculated from unsupported ²¹⁰Pb activity for the upper sediments. This demonstrates the usefulness of dating sediments with complementary radiometric techniques such as short-lived isotope counting (SLIC), i.e., ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs. This approach leads to the following conclusions: (1) The incorporation of detrital particles with ancient carbon into the sedimentary column of the lake occurred by a combination of: (a) the presence of outcrops of hydrothermal petroleum with ages >40 ka (ka = thousands of years) in the lake, and (b) mass transport due to the presence of two elongated gyre circulation patterns integrated by cyclonic circulation (counterclockwise) in the north portion of the lake and anticyclonic circulation in the southern part. (2) Consequently, the ¹⁴C ages of shallow lake sediments have geologic ages one order of magnitude greater compared to their ages determined by the ²¹⁰Pb method. (3) A bioturbation mechanism is not necessary to explain the ¹⁴C AI in the top 70 cm and from 110 to 150 cm depth of the sediments. (4) According to the biological proxies data for the last 600 years B.P., the paleoclimate at Lake Chapala has changed from sub-humid to dry environmental conditions, and eutrophication has increased over the past 100 years due to local input from ongoing agricultural activities.     

Lead-210 and pollen geochronologies on Lake Superior sediments

Rates of sedimentation in two Lake Superior deposits were determined by both ragweed pollen and ²¹⁰Pb geochronologies. The former yields an average rate over the time since the first appearance of enhanced concentrations of the pollen as a consequence of human settlement. Sedimentation rates derived on these two bases can be brought into accord if the first appearance of ragweed pollen in the sediments was around 1830 and if the sedimentation rates have been uniform over the past century.     

Historical pollution variability from abandoned mine sites,Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area,New South Wales,Australia

Core and surface sediments from the Tonalli River, a tributary of the artificial lake, Lake Burragorang, in the Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales, Australia, were studied to evaluate the spatio-temporal distribution of pollutants from the Yerranderie silver-lead-zinc mine site, abandoned in the late 1920s. A sediment core was collected in the mouth of the Tonalli River, at its junction with Lake Burragorang, and surface sediment samples were collected in the Tonalli River and its tributaries. The concentrations of Pb, As, Zn, Cu, Cd, Hg and Ag in the sediments were determined by ICP-MS and ICP-AES techniques. Temporal variability of metal concentrations was established through ²¹⁰Pb dating of the core sediments and compared with published historical records, rainfall records and bushfire data. Metal concentrations in core sediments showed an overall increase around the year 1950 as well as increases coincident with heavy rainfall. Spatially, metal concentrations were up to 400 times the guideline limit around mine sites but decreased rapidly with distance downstream of the mines.     

Mixing rates in Shagawa Lake,Minnesota, sediments as determined from 106Ru profiles

Rates of surficial sediment mixing and sediment burial are measured in Shagawa Lake, Minnesota, using radionuclide tracers. Based on ¹⁰⁶Ru profiles in 16 cores, mixing rates average 13 cm²/yr within the upper 9 cm of sediment. Two other nuclides, ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs, provide further evidence for calculation of mixing rates. In addition, ²¹⁰Pb profiles estimate sediment burial rates (about 0.4 cm/yr). Mixing estimates are shown to be fairly insensitive both to uncertainties in sediment burial rates and to temporal patterns of ¹⁰⁶Ru deposition.     

Pollution records from sediments of three lakes in New York State

Sediment core segments from Sylvan Lake, Lake Champlain and Lake Canadarago were dated radiometrically with ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs. Their respective sedimentation rates were determined to be 0.11, 0.14 and 0.52 g cm^?2 yr^?1. For the two lakes of lower sedimentation the variations of selected elemental abundances as function of depth were analyzed. Two groupings were found: Al, K, Ti, Rb and Zr were correlated among themselves but reflected different variations in the input of terrigenous erosion material to the lakes. The Cu, Zn and Pb correlated among themselves showed similar depth dependence with increasing concentrations toward the top which can be attributed to cultural pollution. Recent ‘excess’ fluxes to the sediments above the natural contribution by clastic material were derived for the location of the cores, which for Cu, Zn and Pb amounted to 3.8, 24 and 16 μg cm^?2 yr^?1 respectively for Sylvan Lake and 4.9, 20 and 16 μg cm^?2 yr^?1 for Lake Champlain. The corresponding ²¹⁰Pb flux was 3.3 and 2.3 dpm cm^?2 yr^?1, respectively for the two lakes.Approximate residence times in the water column were obtained for trace metals at the Lake Champlain location. Short residence times estimated for Pb (< 0.15 yr) and Cu (< 0.4 yr) indicate fast removal, whereas those for Zn (1.0 ± 0.3 yr) and Cr (2.0 ± 0.5 yr) appeared to be dominated by the water residence time.     

Determination of recent sedimentation rates in Lake Michigan using Pb-210 and Cs-137

This paper describes the use of ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs radioactivity measurements to determine the rates of sedimentation in the Great Lakes. Cores from eight locations in Lake Michigan were chosen for examination to cover as wide as possible a range of sedimentation rates and representative sedimentary environments. The surficial ²¹⁰Pb activity in the sediments varies between 7 and 23 pCi/g dry wt and its profile in each core shows the expected exponential decrease with depth consistent with the assumption of uniform sedimentation rate over the last hundred years and secular equilibrium between supported ²¹⁰Pb and ²²⁶Ra (0.5-1.0 pCi/g dry wt). Companion measurements of ¹³⁷Cs indicate that the coring technique satisfactorily recovered the uppermost levels of the deposit and that the mobility of both radionuclides within the sediment is probably small.Based on the limited number of cores analyzed to date, it appears that modern sedimentation rates are not very different from average rates for the last 7000 yr. The excess ²¹⁰Pb appears to originate primarily from atmospheric fallout, but a further inventory of the ²¹⁰Pb distribution over the lake bottom must be made to properly assess the significance of other sources. The spatial distributions of both ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb at certain stations suggest that the mode of transport of these radionuclides are comparable and involve attachment to settling particles. A mathematical model is developed which accounts for the observed limited mobility of both ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs in several of the cores in terms of post-depositional redistribution by physical or biological mixing processes.     

The impact of over 100 years of wildfires on mercury levels and accumulation rates in two lakes in southern California,USA

In southern California, USA, wildfires may be an important source of mercury (Hg) to local watersheds. Hg levels and Hg accumulation rates were investigated in dated sediment cores from two southern California lakes, Big Bear Lake and Crystal Lake, located approximately 40-km apart. Between 1895 and 2006, fires were routinely minimized or suppressed around Big Bear Lake, while fires regularly subsumed the forest surrounding Crystal Lake. Mean Hg concentrations and mean Hg accumulation rates were significantly higher in Crystal Lake sediments compared to Big Bear Lake sediments (Hg levels: Crystal Lake 220 ± 93 ng g⁻¹, Big Bear Lake 92 ± 26 ng g⁻¹; Hg accumulation: Crystal Lake 790 ± 1,200 μg m⁻² year⁻¹, Big Bear 240 ± 54 μg m⁻² year⁻¹). In Crystal Lake, the ratio between post-1965 and pre-1865 Hg concentrations was 1.1, and several spikes in Hg levels occurred between 1910 and 1985. Given the remote location of the lake, the proximity of fires, and the lack of point sources within the region, these results suggested wildfires (rather than industrial sources) were a continuous source of Hg to Crystal Lake over the last 150 years.     

Trace metal and radionuclide pollution in marine sediments of the Aegean Sea (Izmir Bay and Didim)

To determine radioactivity and trace metal levels, surface sediments were collected from two important areas (?zmir Bay and Didim) in the Aegean Sea region of Turkey, and were analyzed for concentrations of ²¹⁰Po, ²¹⁰Pb and trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn). The average ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb massic activities in sediments varied in the range of 24 ± 5 to 126 ± 6 Bq kg^?1 dry wt. and 18 ± 3 to 59 ± 4 Bq kg^?1 dry wt., respectively. Izmir Bay exhibited the highest polonium activities in sediments, likely due to specific sedimentation processes and other sediment characteristics. The trace metal results showed that the Izmir Bay is facing trace metal pollution. The metal concentrations in sediment samples are low compared to those from the other neighboring marine environments.     

A 2400-year record of trace metal loading in lake sediments of Lagoa Vermelha, southeastern Brazil

Sediments of the Lagoa Vermelha (Red Lake), situated in the Ribeira Valley, southeastern Brazil, are made of a homogeneous, organic-rich, black clay with no visible sedimentary structures. The inorganic geochemical record (Al, As, Ba, Br, Co,Cs, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Rb, Sc, Sb, V, Zn, Hg and Pb) of the lake sediments was analyzed in a core spanning 2430 years. The largest temporal changes in trace metal contents occurred approximately within the last 180 years. Recent sediments were found to be enriched in Pb, Zn, Hg, Ni, Mn, Br and Sb (more than 2-fold increase with respect to the “natural background level”). The enhanced accumulation of Br, Sb, and Mn was attributed to biogeochemical processes and diagenesis. On the other hand, the anomalous concentrations of Pb, Zn, Hg and Ni were attributed to pollution. As Lagoa Vermelha is located in a relatively pristine area, far removed from direct contamination sources, the increased metal contents of surface sediments most likely resulted from atmospheric fallout. Stable Pb isotopes provided additional evidence for anthropogenic contamination. The shift of ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios toward decreasing values in the increasingly younger sediments is consistent with an increasing contribution of airborne anthropogenic lead. In the uppermost sediments (0-10 cm), the lowest values of the ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios may reflect the influence of the less radiogenic Pb from the Ribeira Valley District ores (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb between 1.04 and 1.10), emitted during the last 50 years.     

Grain size in sediments from Lake Sugan: a possible linkage to dust storm events at the northern margin of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Samples of surface deposits in the Lake Sugan catchment, as well as surface lake sediments, eolian materials occulted in the lake ice cover, and airborne dust were collected for grain-size analysis. The results show that the coarse fraction of the lake sediments could be transported by ambient winds and to a lesser extent by river flow in the study area. Sediment cores were retrieved from Lake Sugan in December 2000, and ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs dating and grain-size analyses were performed on these samples. ²¹⁰Pb ages and the volume percentage of the fraction of lake sediments >63 μm were used to reconstruct the dust storm history from 1957 to 2000. Observational data for dust storm events collected at a local meteorological station largely agrees with the reconstructed trend for the past 44 years, suggesting that lake sediments can be employed to trace the dust storm history of the northern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau.     

Mixing and cycling of uranium,thorium and 210Pb in Puget Sound sediments

Activity profiles of excess ²³⁴Th, excess ²¹⁰Pb, ²³²Th, ²³⁰Th, ²³⁴U and ²³⁸U, and ^228/232Th ratios determined in eight box cores of sediment from six sites in central Puget Sound provide new insights into the dynamic nature of solid phase mixing in surface sediments, the exchange of ²²⁸Ra and other soluble species across the sediment-water interface, and the cycling of U, Th and ²¹⁰Pb in this coastal zone.Comparison of excess ²³⁴Th inventories in sediments with its production rate in the overlying water column indicates a mean residence time of at most 14 days for particles in the central Puget Sound water column.Surface sediment horizons with excess ²³⁴Th have no excess ²²⁸Th which might be used to ascertain sediment accumulation rates over the past decade. Instead, deficiencies of ²²⁸Th due to loss of soluble ²²⁸Ra from pore water to the overlying water persist to 20–30 cm, revealing that exchange of soluble chemicals between pore and overlying waters reaches these depths in the extensively bioturbated sediments of Puget Sound.Solid phase U isotope concentrations tend to increase by up to a factor of two with depth in sediments, as a result of dissolved U being biologically pumped down into sediments where it is partially removed when conditions become mildly reducing. ²³²Th and ²³⁰Th activities and ^230/232Th ratios are constant with depth in sediments, indicating constant detrital phase compositions and essentially no authigenic ²³⁰Th. Steady state ²¹⁰Pb depositional activities in and fluxes to Puget Sound sediments average only about onehalf those for sediments of the open Washington coast north of the Columbia River mouth, primarily because of a much lower supply of dissolved ²¹⁰Pb in sea waters adverting into Puget Sound.Excess ²³⁴Th profiles in sediments reveal much more detail about the depth dependency, dynamic nature and recent history of solid phase mixing processes than excess ²¹⁰Pb profiles. At least six of eight ²³⁴Th profiles show that mixing within the ²¹⁰Pb-defined surface mixed layer is depth dependent. In three profiles, ²³⁴Th-derived mixing rates are fastest several centimeters below the sediment-water interface, indicating greater macro-benthic activity at these depths. Depth dependent mixing coefficients derived from the best fit of a four layer, advection-diffusion-decay model to the ²³⁴Th data are consistent with ²¹⁰Pb profiles determined for the same sediments, strongly suggesting that ²³⁴Th and ²¹⁰Pb are mixed equivalently and in a multilayered manner.     

Lead-210 sedimentation in Lake Ontario

The sedimentation rates and diffusive sediment mixing coefficients at several Lake Ontario locations have been derived from measurements of unsupported²¹⁰Pb profiles in sediment cores. The values of mixing coefficients obtained in the present study are significantly lower than those obtained previously through an analysis of porosity profiles. The present estimates, however, are consistent with the rather well-preserved pollutant profiles at some of these locations. It is observed that the more realistic value of the mixing coefficient, obtained by inclusion of the sedimentation rate parameter, follows the sign opposite to that for the constant obtained by regression analysis of the porosity data. Further work is required to delineate this apparent relationship between two important physical characteristics of deposited sediments.Analysis of available suspended sediment data shows that Niagara River supplies about 1.8 million tonnes of sediment annually to Lake Ontario. This value is significantly lower than that (4.6 mt/yr) used previously in constructing sediment and pollutant budgets for Lake Ontario. From the presently derived sedimentation rate and suspended solid discharge estimates, an average value of 441 km² (range 220-938 km²) is obtained for the minimum area of Lake Ontario over which the Niagara River-supplied fine sediment is deposited.     

Spatial and vertical trends in sediment-phase contaminants in the upper estuary of the St. Lawrence River

The concentration of selected contaminant trace metals and organic contaminants, namely polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), normal-alkanes, total polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and other organochlorines, was studied in cores from shallow-water fine-grain sediments from both sides of the maximum turbidity zone (MTZ) in the upper estuary of the St. Lawrence. Average trace metal concentrations in the cores were generally lower in downstream sediments, except for Hg and Pb. Hg levels in the cores were very high, exceeding 0.7 μg g^?1 in core C168 (south shore) and 0.19 μg g^?1 in core LE (north shore). Trace metal concentrations in all the cores were highly variable with depth, but after normalization with reference to iron, the trend was remarkably uniform, thus confirming an important inverse relationship with grain size. A similar lack of a well-defined trend was noted in the profiles of the organic components in the modern sediments. Average PAH values for modern sediments at core sites C168 and LO were 1.05 μg g^?1 and 0.44 μg g^?1, respectively (i.e., less than or equal to those in Lake Ontario and upstream in the river). PCB values far exceeded those in upstream sediments (average: 347 ng g^?1 in core LE and 158 ng g^?1 in C168), but were less than in Lake Ontario. Concentrations of chlordane, heachlorobenzene, and mirex were relatively low and uniform in the modern sections of the cores. The vertical uniformity of both the contaminant profiles and those for Cs-137 (C168) suggests that the sediments are relatively young (i.e., definitely less than 35 yr at C168, and probably even less at LE and LO). Therefore no long-term or historical trend is evident.     

Temporal dynamics of airborne lead-210 in Missouri (USA): implications for geochronological methods

 Lead-210 (²¹⁰Pb) deposited from the atmosphere is used in the dating of certain geological materials such as glacial ice and lacustrine sediments, but its long-term atmospheric behavior has been little studied. The present investigation reports measurements of airborne ²¹⁰Pb at 21 monitoring stations in Springfield, Missouri, during 1975–1995. Seasonal and diurnal patterns of atmospheric concentrations are established, and the mean annual concentrations of ²¹⁰Pb in ground level air during the 20-year period are examined. Although airborne ²¹⁰Pb concentrations are found to vary diurnally and seasonally, mean annual concentrations in southwest Missouri have remained relatively constant during this time period. This finding is important for geochronological methods that assume a constant ²¹⁰Pb flux from the atmosphere. Received: 8 September 1998 · Accepted: 12 October 1998     

Mercury in Baltic Sea sediments—Natural background and anthropogenic impact

In total 27 short and one long sediment core, and 278 surface sediment samples from the Baltic Sea were analyzed for mercury (Hg), and organic carbon contents. Thirteen short cores and the long core were dated by radionuclide methods (²¹⁰Pb, ¹³⁷Cs, AMS¹⁴C). The dataset allows discriminating between natural and human induced changes on the Hg levels in Baltic Sea sediments. Preindustrial Holocene background concentrations vary between 20 and 50 μg Hg per kg dry sediment and are positively correlated with organic carbon changes. Strong human induced pollution is recorded for the second half of the past century and caused high Hg concentrations of up to several hundred μg Hg per kg dry sediment even in Baltic Sea basins. Maximum concentrations are found at industrial and war waste dumping sites (local hot spots). An Hg concentration decreasing trend toward the present day is observed at most coring sites, a result of environmental measures undertaken during the last two decades. At sites where it is possible to calculate Hg fluxes, the natural accumulation rates vary between 2.1 and 5.4 μg Hg per m² per year. Anthropogenically sourced Hg accumulation rates vary in a wide range of 30 and 300 μg Hg per m² per year for the time span of maximum pollution. In areas characterized by discontinuous sedimentation only “inventories” of human sourced Hg expressed as the total amount of deposited Hg (above the natural background) per m² can be calculated. The inventories of the investigated cores vary in the range of 1 and 8 mg Hg per m². Additionally, influences of sediment dynamics on spatial distribution pattern of Hg concentrations in surface and subsurface sediments are discussed.