Recycling of phosphorus (P) from deoxygenated sediments perpetuates eutrophic conditions in parts of the Baltic Sea. Sedimentary organic P is a major source of dissolved P to the water column, but also a sink for permanent P burial. The mechanisms behind these two pathways are, however, largely unknown. Using new methods, we determined P in DNA and phospholipids, which are both found in all organisms. We also identified inosit...

Unregulated discharges of wastewater from pulp and paper factories resulted in the formation of relatively thick organic (cellulose) rich sediments in shallow waters along the Swedish coast. These deposits are known as fiberbanks and are contaminated by persistent organic pollutants (POPs), metals and methylmercury, which can be dispersed by diffusion and advective processes coupled to propeller wash, high river discharges, st...

Purpose Numerous sites contaminated with fiber emissions from pulp and paper industries are found in coastal areas of the Baltic Sea, but there is limited knowledge about the magnitude of dispersal of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) from these anthropogenic, organic-rich sediments called fiberbanks. The aim of this study was to quantify and compare different POP dispersal pathways from such fiberbanks. Dispersal mechanism...

The unsustainable settlement and high industrialization around the catchment of the Baltic Sea has left records of anthropogenic heavy metal contamination in Baltic Sea sediments. Here, we show that sediments record post-industrial and anthropogenic loads of Cd, Zn, and Pb over a large spatial scale in the Baltic Sea. We also demonstrate that there is a control on the accumulation of these metals in relation to oxic/anoxic con...

Purpose Many coastal areas in the Baltic Sea are contaminated with wood fiber and pollutants from pulp and paper industries. These anthropogenic, organic-rich, sediments (fiberbanks) have not been characterized and knowledge about their role as secondary sources for dispersal of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is limited. Hence, the aim of this study was to elucidate the fate of POPs and the relationships between sorption...