Organic pollution in a Ramsar site (Piallassa Baiona, northern Adriatic Sea).
A core collected in the Piallassa Baiona lagoon, a salt-marsh area already studied for Hg contamination related to nearby industrial sites, was analysed for organic micropollutants. Surface sediments show high concentrations of total PCBs (1148 ng g-1), PCDD/Fs (64 ng g-1) and PAHs (4801 ng g-1). According to a sedimentation rate of 0.4 cm y-1, the high increases in total PAH, PCB and PCDD/F concentrations began in the 1960s and peaked in the 1970s, in parallel with the highest Hg concentrations. Instead, the recent contamination, which primarily involves PCBs and PCDD/Fs, has been observed to be unrelated to Hg concentrations. Organic micropollutant concentrations in the sample core were compared with the sediment quality criteria provided by international guidelines, and revealed high toxic potential. This heavy contamination was also confirmed by comparison with similar environments, particularly the Lagoon of Venice. Further investigations are needed to understand better the sources of the recent contamination and to explain the different transfer pathways involved during sedimentation of the "old" material, dumped 20-30 years ago.
Matteucci
G
G
Istituto di Geologia Marina, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via Gobetti 101, 40129 Bologna, Italy. matteucci@igm.bo.cnr.it
Rossini
P
P
Arcangeli
A
A
De Falco
G
G
Fonti
P
P
Guerzoni
S
S
D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D007558:Italy; D008628:Mercury / Q000032:analysis; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D012037:Refuse Disposal; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis
D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014873:Water Pollutants; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls; D008628:Mercury