HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF: PERSISTENT ORGANIC POLLUTANTS IN THE GLACIER-FED LAKE OBERAAR, SWITZERLAND

摘要

A dated sediment core from a high-Alpine lake (Lake Oberaar, Switzerland), which is directly fed by glacier meltwater has been analyzed for polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs peaked in the 1960s-1970s, reflecting their higher emissions and their use at that time. Since the late 1990s concentrations of PCDD/Fs and PCBs have sharply increased, pointing towards a considerable release of these compounds from melting glaciers.