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Recent Environmental Changes in the Shallow Lake Pamvotis (NW Greece): Evidence from Sedimentary Organic Matter, Hydrocarbons, and Stable Isotopes

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Abstract

Lake Pamvotis is a shallow Mediterranean lake located in northwestern Greece that has been recognized as an internationally important conservation site. Here, an unprecedented investigation was undertaken to obtain and evaluate data related to sedimentary organic matter, hydrocarbon content, and stable isotopes of Lake Pamvotis sediments, thus tracking the origin of organic inputs and providing a record of environmental status. The study revealed a distinct spatial distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with values between 34.7 and 1600 μg/kg and a rather uniform pattern for n-alkanes with concentrations falling below 41.4 μg/g. A significant contribution of an unresolved complex mixture indicated anthropogenic petroleum contamination. Further study of relevant indexes and geochemical biomarkers supported a mixed-source input of aliphatic hydrocarbons. With regard to PAHs, there was strong evidence that their dominant origin is pyrogenic. Finally, considerable excursion in δ13Corg was attributed to changes in dissolved inorganic carbon accompanied by increased input of effluents and recycling of organic carbon within the lake, whereas the rise in isotopic composition of nitrogen was associated with agricultural runoff and sewage input from the town of Ioannina.

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Acknowledgments

This work is part of the Greek-Slovenian bilateral project entitled: Biogeochemical Cycling of Carbon and Assessment of Shifts in Lakes Pamvotis (Greece) and Bohinj (Slovenia). The authors are grateful to the Greek General Secretariat for Research and Technology and Slovenian Research Agency for their financial support. The authors would like to express their gratitude to colleagues who helped during sampling and analyses. Part of the work was performed at the Institute for Water Resources Management, Joanneum Research Graz in the frame of a grant financed by Forschung Austria Initiative “Brainpower.”

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  1. Gregor Muri

    Present address: Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia, Vojkova 1b, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, 451 10, Greece

    Victoria Daskalou & Constantine Stalikas

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Polona Vreča

  3. National Institute of Biology, Večna pot 111, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Gregor Muri

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  1. Victoria Daskalou
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Correspondence to Constantine Stalikas.

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Daskalou, V., Vreča, P., Muri, G. et al. Recent Environmental Changes in the Shallow Lake Pamvotis (NW Greece): Evidence from Sedimentary Organic Matter, Hydrocarbons, and Stable Isotopes. Arch Environ Contam Toxicol 57, 21–31 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00244-008-9246-y

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