Historical Contaminated Sediments and Soils at the River Basin Scale: Examples from the Elbe River Catchment Area

Despite improvements in water quality over the last 15 yr, priority pollutant contamination of Elbe River sediments has not reached acceptable levels. Analysis of sediment core samples shows elevated nutrient and pollutant loads deposited on the floodplains and in the river course and demonstrates the specific sink function of both sites. Sediments in the river course may be remobilized, indicating that the long-term sink function can temporarily become a significant source character. Implications for risk assessment, water quality management, and dredged sediment management are examined.