Regional and Long-Term Patterns of Lead Concentrations in Fluvial, Marine and Terrestrial Systems and Humans in Europe
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GKSS SCMUNGSZZNTRUWl Regional and long-term patterns of lead concentrations in fluvial, marine and terrestrial systems and humans in Europe lead concentration (mg/kg) 0 20 40 60 80 100 year 1829 year 879 year 519 year 1669 year 454 year 1729 Authoress: Hradec Kralove 450-1 ---------------- 1— C. Hagner Data source: Prange et at. 1997 GKSS 2000/17 DISCLAIMER Portions of this document may be illegible in electronic image products. Images are produced from the best available original document. GKSS 2000/17 KS002627721 R: KS DE015308834 Regional and long-term patterns of lead concentrations in fluvial, marine and terrestrial systems and humans in Europe Authoress: C. Hagner (Institute of Hydrophysics) GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH • Geesthacht • 2000 Dr. C. Hagner Institute of Hydrophysics GKSS Research Centre Max-Planck-Strasse D-21502 Geesthacht Germany E-mail: [email protected] Die Berichte der GKSS werden kostenlos abgegeben. The delivery of the GKSS reports is free of charge. Anforderungen/Requests: GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH Bibliothek/Library Postfach 11 60 D-21494 Geesthacht Germany Fax.: (49) 04152/871717 Als Manuskript vervielfaltigt. Fur diesen Bericht behalten wir uns alle Rechte vor. ISSN 0344-9629 GKSS-Forschungszentrum Geesthacht GmbH • Telefon (04152)87-0 Max-Planck-StraBe • D-21502 Geesthacht/Postfach 11 60 • D-21494 Geesthacht GKSS 2000/17 Regional and long-term patterns of lead concentrations in fluvial, marine and terrestrial systems and humans in Europe C. Hagner 36 pages with 15 figures and 6 tables *DE015308834* Abstract Lead contamination of abiotic and biotic systems has been studied closely since the early 1970s, when lead was firstly perceived as an environmental problem. Lead emission reduction policies were implemented throughout Europe during that time. Nonetheless, analyses of lead loads in aquatic systems, such as the River Elbe, showed no decline over time in either suspended matter or surface sediments. Regional differ ences in lead concentrations of fluvial systems were found, due to tidal influence, runoff and local emissions. Lead contamination of sediments from the North Sea was highest in estuaries. Concentrations in sediment cores were quite stable down to the depth of background values, due to bioturbation, flow, waves and meandering channels. Terrestrial soils in Europe were highly polluted in industrial and ore mining areas and large cities. No decline in lead concentrations was evident in foraminifers, bladder wrack or fish. It was found that contamination in sediments, mammals and fish was higher in coastal zones than in the open sea. In contrast to in aquatic organisms, positive impacts of lead reduction regulations were detected in terrestrial plants, which adsorbed or took up lead mainly through atmospheric lead deposition. European lead concentrations in plants decreased coincidentlywith lead emissions. That trend could also be identified in the blood lead levels of the human population in Europe: since 1979 they have declined in every group of the population. Mainly influenced by age, sex and the living environment, overall, the lead loads of humans had never been high enough to cause health danger. Bleikonzentration in aquatischen, marinen und terrestischen Systemen sowie Menschen in Europa: regionale Differenzen und Langzeit-Trends Zusammenfassung In den friihen 70er Jahren wurde die Belastung der Umwelt durch Blei erstmals als Problem wahrgenommen. Infolgedessen wurden zahlreiche Untersuchungen fiber Bleibelastungen sowohl in abiotischen als auch biotischen Systemen durchgeftihrt und europaweit MaBnahmen zur Reduktion von Bleiemissionen erfaBt. Trotzdem konnte weder in Schwebstoffen noch in Oberflachensedimenten, untersucht am Beispiel des Flusses Elbe, ein Rfickgang der Bleikonzentrationen im Zeitablauf festgestellt werden. Regional unterschiedliche Belastungsniveaus resultieren aus dem EinfluB der Tide, dem WasserabfluB und lokalen Emittem. In den Sedimenten der Nordsee wurden die hochsten Bleikonzentrationen in den Astuaren analysiert. Infolge von Bioturbation, Stromung und maandemden Kanalen sind die Bleibelastungen in den marinen Sedimenten relativ konstant, bis sie abrupt auf das Niveau des geogenen Backgrounds zurfickgehen. Studien fiber die Bleikonzentrationen in terrestrischen Boden in Europa ergaben Belastungsschwerpunkte in Industriegebieten, Erzabbauregionen und Ballungsraumen. Weder in Foraminiferen, Blasentang noch in Fisch sanken die Bleikonzentrationen seit den 70er Jahren. Wie auch in Sedimenten, wurden in Fischen und Meeressaugem der Nordsee die hochsten Bleibelastungen in den Ktistenregionen gemessen. Im Gegensatz zu aquatischen Systemen, konnten im Untersuchungs- zeitraum signifikante Rfickgange der Bleikonzentrationen in Landpflanzen nachgewiesen werden. Einen vergleichbaren Trend zeigen auch Studien fiber die Bleibelastung der europaischen Bevolkerung, die vorwiegend durch das Alter, das Geschlecht und den Lebensraum determiniert wird. Insgesamt war die Bleikonzentration im Blut seit 1979weit unter dem Niveau, das als gesundheitsgefahrdend definiert 1st. Manuscript received / Manuskripteingang in der Redaktion: 26. Mai 2000 - 5 - 1 INTRODUCTION In the 1970s Germany was the first country in Europe to implement an Environmental Protection Program. Within that program air pollution was one of the main topics. In the following years many regulations were brought to pass that enhanced air quality not only in Germany but throughout Europe. Regulations reducing lead emissions first came into force in Germany in 1972 and 1976. In 1984 unleaded gasoline was introduced into the German market. However, it was not until 1987 that the European Commission allowed the member states to prohibit the production and sale of leaded gasoline (Hagner 1999). The discussion about lead pollution in the 70s focused on environmental and human health damage, whereas in the 80s people were more concerned about other air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (CxHy), causing widespread forest damage. That problem was thought to be solved by the catalytic techniques which required unleaded gasoline. Due to the reduction of lead in gasoline in the EU, the atmospheric lead concentrations in Western Europe have decreased since the 80s. The objective of this paper is to investigate not only the impacts of long-term lead pollution on several environmental systems, but also the effects of recently decreasing lead concentrations in the atmosphere. Regional patterns of lead concentration in different environmental compartments are also analysed. In Section 2 lead contents of suspended matter and sediments are considered for example of the RiverElbe. Lead loads in marine sediments of the North Sea are analysed Section 3. Studies addressing lead contents in terrestrial soils are discussed in section 4. Sections 5 and 6 are concerned with lead concentration in different bioindicators and humans. Regional differences of lead levels as well as changes over time are discussed for fluvial, marine and terrestrial organisms and humans. 2 LEAD CONCENTRATIONS IN SUSPENDED MATTER AND SEDIMENTS OF THE RIVER ELBE Heavy metals in aquatic systems originate from several sources. In oremountains, they are released by the action of weathering water. Metal production, recycling and ennoblement plants are important point sources of lead, which is emitted especially from paper industry plants, petrochemical plants, refineries, other smelting ore plants and non-iron industry plants. Additional sources of lead emissions deposited in aquatic systemsare sewage, leachate und dumps (Lozan/Kausch 1996). Lead also enters the system by soil erosion or atmospheric lead deposition of diffuse sources on banks and in tributaries; it originates in these cases from organic compounds, such as gasoline, a major emission source (FOrstner/Mtlller 1974). Vink et al. (1999) made an inventory of all point- and diffuse-source emissions of lead in the River Elbe basin (Table 1). It shows that in the period of 1992-1995 the sources of lead were mainly diffuse. Direct atmospheric lead deposition is only 17 % of the total lead emissions in the River Elbe; it is therefore of much lower relevance in fluvial than in terrestrial environments. -6- Table 1: Estimated Emissions in the the Elbe Drainage Area for the Time Period 1992-1995. catchment lead emission in t/yr in the period 1992-1995 point sources 41.1 direct atmospheric deposition 41.4 erosion and surface runoff 87.3 groundwater 25.3 urban areas 40.9 total emissions 236 Data source: adapted from Vink et al. 1999. 2.1 Regional Patterns of Lead Loads In the years 1979 and 1980 the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft zur Reinhaltung der Elbe (ARGE-Elbe)” (1980) analysed the longitudinal distribution of lead concentrations in water and sediments of the River Elbe from Schnackenburg to the North Sea. The results showed that in limnetic systems over 90 % of lead was bound to suspended matter. Moreover, the Elbe was highly polluted with lead from sources above Schnackenburg. However the mean lead concentration of non-filtrated water from the tidal Elbe between Geesthacht and Scharhoem was below 50p.g/l, the European threshold for drinking water (ARGE-Elbe 1980). The highest lead concentrations occurred in regions with weakly turbulent flows, for example, groyne fields, where suspended matter was deposited during periods of low discharge. During periods of high discharge the sediments in the groyne fields were resuspended and transported downstream