Sediments: sink, archive, and source of contaminants

Abstract

Sediments are sources and sinks of contaminants and play an important role in mediating pollutants across environmental compartments of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In surface waters (lakes, slowly flowing or dammed rivers, estuaries, oceans), organic and inorganic contaminants are either dissolved or sorbed to suspended matter and sediment particles according to their chemical properties. In the case of strong sorption, settling of suspended particles and sediment formation scavenge contaminants out of the water phase, resulting in the accumulation of contaminants in the beds of rivers and lakes.