Lake sediments as records of arctic and antarctic pollution

Abstract

While low sedimentation rates impose limits on the usefulness and time resolution of lake sediments in the circumpolar region, the widespread area of lake distribution provides valuable information on geographic distribution. This chapter contains information on pollution deposition in the Arctic (there is little data on this topic from Antarctica). Lake sediments record information on organic chemical pollutants, heavy metals, and anthropogenic particles. Arctic sediment cores can provide information on the long-range transport and distribution of heavy metals, POPs, and PCBs. (lel)