title: Modelling the dynamic air-water-sediment coupled fluxes and occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls in a high altitude lake.
abstract: The BIODEP model in terms of atmosphere-lake interactions was developed. The model was applied to an oligotrophic, dimictic high altitude lake (Lake Redo, Pyrenees) for a range of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners. High altitude lakes, which receive their contaminant inputs uniquely from the atmosphere through long-range atmospheric transport, provide ideal controlled environments for the study of the interactions between atmospheric depositional and water column biogeochemical processes. The BIODEP model was able to predict dissolved water concentrations and PCB accumulation in the lake sediment within a factor of 2. This shows that the BIODEP model captures the essential processes driving the sink of POPs in high altitude lakes and that POP occurrence in the lake is driven by direct atmospheric inputs with limited influence from the watershed. An important seasonal variability in water column concentrations is predicted which should have important implications in sampling strategies. Furthermore, it is shown that diffusive air-water exchange dominated the PCB dynamics in the lake, especially for the less chlorinated biphenyls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Chemistry, IIQAB-CSIC, Barcelona 18-26, Barcelona, 08034 Catalunya, Spain. s.meijer@lancaster.ac.uk
authors.forename: Sandra N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Meijer
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dachs
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.forename: Luís
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Camarero
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Catalan
authors.forename: Sabino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Del Vento
authors.forename: Barend
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: van Drooge
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jurado
authors.forename: Joan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Grimalt
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D000531:Altitude; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis; D008956:Models, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000032:analysis*; D012621:Seasons; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D014887:Weather
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls