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Sysmäjärvi — a lake polluted by mining waste-water

  • Part Three: Regional Paleolimnology
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Abstract

Lake Sysmäjärvi is located inside the municipal boundary of Outokumpu in North Karelia, Finland. Since 1928 metalliferous, and at a later stage highly acid waste-water, has been discharged into the lake. Neutralization of the lake water by liming was introduced, and by the end of 1966 the pH of the water had become neutral to alkaline.

Two sediment cores (0.5 m and 5 m long, respectively) were analyzed for pollen, diatoms, loss-on-ignition, organic carbon, Fe, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and Hg. The maximum concentrations of organic matter and heavy metal content occur 30 cm below the sediment surface. Evidence of the liming and of accelerated eutrophication appear close to the surface of the sediment (0–10 cm), indicated by an increase in Nitzschia plana.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. North Karelian Water District Office, Joensuu, Finland

    Marketta Ahtiainen

  2. Mikkeli Water District Office, Mikkeli, Finland

    Olavi Sandman

  3. Geological Survey of Finland, Espoo, Finland

    Risto Tynni

Authors
  1. Marketta Ahtiainen
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  2. Olavi Sandman
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  3. Risto Tynni
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Ahtiainen, M., Sandman, O. & Tynni, R. Sysmäjärvi — a lake polluted by mining waste-water. Hydrobiologia 103, 303–308 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028470

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00028470

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