title: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in lake sediments from the High Tatras.
abstract: European alpine lake systems are used as indicators of air quality over the continent. Preliminary data showed high polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) loads in the High Tatras (Eastern Europe) in comparison to other mountain regions. Here, insight on the spatial distribution of PAH is provided from analysis of top-core sediments of 27 alpine lakes distributed along the High Tatras. Top-core sediment concentrations were higher than those in deep-cores, and they were higher than those observed in other European high mountain regions. The PAH profiles were uniform and comparable to those observed in aerosols and snow, indicating that atmospheric deposition was the predominant PAH input pathway to the lakes. Good agreement between estimated atmospheric deposition and sedimentation fluxes was observed. However, in several lakes in the western range higher sediment fluxes may correspond to higher PAH depositions levels. The higher concentrations may also reflect inputs from potential emission source areas.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDÆA-CSIC), Jordi Girona 18, 08034 Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. barend.vandrooge@idaea.csic.es
authors.forename: Barend L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: van Drooge
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: López
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: Joan O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Grimalt
authors.forename: Evzen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stuchlík
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D005618:Fresh Water / Q000737:chemistry; D005843:Geography; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D011044:Poland; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis*; D018154:Slovakia
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons