Influence of a wastewater treatment plant on mercury contamination and sediment characteristics in Vidy Bay (Lake Geneva, Switzerland)

Article Article scientifique Article Influence of a wastewater treatment plant on mercury contamination and sediment characteristics in Vidy Bay (Lake Geneva, Switzerland) eng 2013 author Gascon Diez Elena 662797 author Garcia Bravo Andrea 559843 author A Porta Natacha 596629 author Masson Matthieu 671538 author Graham Neil 704334 author Stoll Serge 0000-0003-3158-4208 29148 author Akhtman Yosef author Amouroux David author Loizeau Jean-Luc 0000-0002-0611-0388 23020 10.1007/s00027-013-0325-4 1015-1621 http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00027-013-0325-4 Previous direct observations of the sediment surface in Vidy Bay, Lake Geneva (Switzerland), revealed a range of sediment characteristics in terms of colour, texture and morphology. Dives with the MIR submersibles during the éLEMO project permitted the exploration of a large portion of Vidy Bay. It is the most contaminated part of Lake Geneva, due to inputs of treated and untreated waters from a large wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). To evaluate the influence of WWTP effluent on mercury contamination and sediment characteristics, 14 sediment cores were retrieved in the vicinity of the wastewater treatment plant effluent. Total mercury concentrations in sediments ranged between 0.32 and 10.1 mg/kg. Inorganic mercury and monomethylmercury concentrations in overlying and pore waters were also measured. The total partition coefficients of mercury (logKd) ranged from 3.6 to 5.8. The monomethylmercury concentration in pore waters of surface sediments was a large proportion of the total mercury concentration (44 ± 25 %). A Spearman test showed a negative correlation between the distance to the wastewater treatment plant outlet and the concentrations of total mercury in sediments and pore waters. Visual observations from the submersible allowed recognizing six different types of sediment. The areal distribution of these different sediment types clearly showed the influence of the wastewater treatment plant outlet on the sediment surface patterns. However, no relationship with mercury concentrations could be established. Methylmercury Lake sediment Wastewater treatment plant Pore water Dewey 333.7-333.9 Dewey 540 Dewey 550 18 Institut des sciences de l'environnement 0DB 40 Département de chimie minérale, analytique et appliquée 145 41 Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l'environnement et de l'eau 153 false 755 Environmental Physical Chemistry 944 ISE Eau 938 ISE Pôle Sciences 753 Limnology and Environmental Geology Aquatic sciences a05a97f5-40de-43fa-a2cf-3f1818c668a2 Article (Published version) Restricted 31059.pdf 1719379 application/pdf restrictedAccess Centres et instituts / Institut des sciences de l'environnement Faculté des sciences / Section de chimie et biochimie / Département de chimie minérale, analytique et appliquée Faculté des sciences / Section des sciences de la Terre et de l'Environnement / Département F.-A. Forel des sciences de l'environnement et de l'eau

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Influence of a wastewater treatment plant on mercury contamination and sediment characteristics in Vidy Bay (Lake Geneva, Switzerland)	Aquatic sciences			2013	1,149	29

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