Formaldehyde in the Elbe Estuary: Distribution and Processes

Abstract

AbstractFrom 1989 to 1992, the concentration of formaldehyde was measured along the Elbe estuary as well as at anchor stations. In mesocosm experiments, the turnover of formaldehyde could be investigated avoiding the variability caused by tidal advection of different water bodies.Formaldehyde concentrations in the Elbe estuary ranged from 0.5… 180 μg/L. As sources, a release by algae and microbial processes were identified. Three areas with different dominance of formaldehyde turnover processes were found in the estuary. In the limnic part of the estuary, a release of formaldehyde by algae was dominant. In the mixohaline zone and the turbidity maximum, bacterial degradation of organic matter increased the formaldehyde concentration. In the mouth of the estuary, the adjacent Wadden sea areas influenced the concentration due to formaldehyde‐rich runoff from the tidal mud flats. In the other parts of the estuary, a fast degradation of formaldehyde kept the formaldehyde concentration at a low level.In sediment cores from the Elbe and a mesocosm, the formaldehyde concentrations were in the same range as in the water column. Mesocosms with and without sediment showed no significant differences in concentration levels which were similar to those measured in the Elbe at the same time. During the investigated period, no anthropogenic impacts of formaldehyde into the Elbe estuary could be detected.