Uncertainties in historical pollution data from sedimentary records from an Australian urban floodplain lake

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dc.contributor.authorLintern, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorLeahy, PJen_AU
dc.contributor.authorDeletic, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorHeijnis, Hen_AU
dc.contributor.authorZawadzki, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorGadd, PSen_AU
dc.contributor.authorMcCarthy, DTen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2021-06-28T20:17:28Zen_AU
dc.date.available2021-06-28T20:17:28Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2018-05-01en_AU
dc.date.statistics2021-06-16en_AU
dc.description.abstractSediment cores from aquatic environments can provide valuable information about historical pollution levels and sources. However, there is little understanding of the uncertainties associated with these findings. The aim of this study is to fill this knowledge gap by proposing a framework for quantifying the uncertainties in historical heavy metal pollution records reconstructed from sediment cores. This uncertainty framework consists of six sources of uncertainty: uncertainties in (1) metals analysis methods, (2) spatial variability of sediment core heavy metal profiles, (3) sub-sampling intervals, (4) the sediment chronology, (5) the assumption that metal levels in bed sediments reflect the magnitude of metal inputs into the aquatic system, and (6) post-depositional transformation of metals. We apply this uncertainty framework to an urban floodplain lake in South-East Australia (Willsmere Billabong). We find that for this site, uncertainties in historical dated heavy metal profiles can be up to 176%, largely due to uncertainties in the sediment chronology, and in the assumption that the settled heavy metal mass is equivalent to the heavy metal mass entering the aquatic system. As such, we recommend that future studies reconstructing historical pollution records using sediment cores from aquatic systems undertake an investigation of the uncertainties in the reconstructed pollution record, using the uncertainty framework provided in this study. We envisage that quantifying and understanding the uncertainties associated with the reconstructed pollution records will facilitate the practical application of sediment core heavy metal profiles in environmental management projects. © 2018 Elsevier B.V.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationLintern, A., Leahy, P., Deletic, A., Heijnis, H., Zawadzki, A., Gadd, P., & McCarthy, D. (2018). Uncertainties in historical pollution data from sedimentary records from an Australian urban floodplain lake. Journal of Hydrology, 560, 560-571. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.03.055en_AU
dc.identifier.issn0022-1694en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleJournal of Hydrologyen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination560-571en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.03.055en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttps://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/10913en_AU
dc.identifier.volume560en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherElsevieren_AU
dc.subjectPollutionen_AU
dc.subjectSedimentsen_AU
dc.subjectDrill coresen_AU
dc.subjectLakesen_AU
dc.subjectHeavy metalsen_AU
dc.subjectLimnologyen_AU
dc.subjectAustraliaen_AU
dc.subjectData covariancesen_AU
dc.titleUncertainties in historical pollution data from sedimentary records from an Australian urban floodplain lakeen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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