Aquatic Sources Research Articles

Preventing legionellosis outbreaks by a quick detection of airborne Legionella pneumophila

Legionellosis is a severe pneumonic infection caused by inhaling bacteria of the genus Legionella. Most cases reported in the USA and Europe are associated with the species Legionella pneumophila. This Gram-negative bacterium can survive within a wide spectrum of temperatures, and be transmitted via aerosols from multiple aquatic sources: fountains, thermal spas and other water systems. Although the PCR is one of the most popular methods to verify its presence in environmental or clinical samples, the direct application of this technique to ambient air samples is unusual because of the scarce material in the specimens.Here, we have developed a two-PCR assay, carried out over the V3 and V5 hypervariable regions of the 16S rRNA gene, to detect specifically the pathogenic bacteria Legionella pneumophila in outdoor air samples with low concentration of DNA. The application of this protocol does not require culture and retrieves quick results to activate the corresponding public alerts to prevent legionellosis outbreaks.

A new molecular weight (MW) descriptor of dissolved organic matter to represent the MW-dependent distribution of aromatic condensation: Insights from biodegradation and pyrene binding experiments

In this study, we utilized a size exclusion chromatography (SEC) system that was equipped with a fluorescence emission scanning mode to explore the heterogeneous distribution of the humification index (HIX) values within bulk dissolved organic matter (DOM). The HIX-based SEC chromatograms showed that the molecular weight (MW)-dependent distribution of aromatic condensation was heavily affected by the DOM sources and the progress of biodegradation. The HIX heterogeneity across different MW was more pronounced for terrestrial versus aquatic DOM sources. Microbial incubation of leaf litter DOM led to the initial enhancement of the HIX at a relatively low MW, followed by a gradual increase at larger MW values. The dynamic changes of the HIX can be attributed to (1) the preferential removal of non-aromatic or less-aromatic molecules by microorganisms, (2) the production of microbial metabolites, (3) microbial humification, and (4) self-assemblage of humic-like molecules. From the SEC chromatograms, the HIX-based average molecular weight (or MWHIX) was proposed as a unifying surrogate to represent an MW that was highly associated with aromatic condensation. The MWHIX discriminated four different DOM sources and described well the biodegradation-induced changes. The MWHIX also presented a good positive correlation with pyrene organic carbon-normalized binding coefficients (Koc). The prediction capability of the MWHIX for pyrene Koc was higher than those based on the single descriptors of bulk DOM, such as HIX and MW, which revealed its superior linkage with the DOM reactivity related to both MW and HIX.

Invertebrate prey contributions to juvenile Coho Salmon diet from riparian habitats along three Alaska streams: Implications for environmental change

Stream fish rely on a mix of terrestrial and aquatic prey sources. While the importance of terrestrial invertebrates as a food source for stream fish is well documented, the role of aquatic insects that emerge from the stream as winged adult insects (aquatic winged adults) and return to the stream as prey is less understood. In this study we determined the proportion of total diet for stream-rearing juvenile Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) that is derived from terrestrial and aquatic winged adult invertebrates which enter the stream from riparian habitats and consider how those cross-ecosystem prey contributions vary based on riparian habitat type. Study reaches were identified in three streams within the Kenai River watershed of Alaska that were representative of habitats found throughout the region and riparian vegetation was classified into grass/sedge, shrub and tree types using LiDAR. Juvenile Coho Salmon stomach contents were sampled seasonally in study reaches over a two-year period and ingested invertebrates were identified by taxa, life stage and origin. Our results showed that aquatic winged adult prey contributions to juvenile salmon diet were significantly lower in the grass/sedge study reach, and cross-ecosystem invertebrate prey represented a significantly higher proportion of juvenile salmon diet in the tree study reach. Invertebrate prey in the grass/sedge reach were composed primarily of the larval life stage of aquatic winged adults. These results suggest that change in riparian vegetation from tree/shrub to grass/sedge along Kenai streams as projected by regional climate change models, or that results from anthropogenic modification, will likely lead to lower availability of cross-ecosystem prey for stream fish. Management of riparian buffers along streams to preserve or increase occurrence of trees and shrubs is likely to help mitigate impacts of those possible changes.

Characterization of wastewater from landfills - amount and type of humic substances extracted from leachate

This study aimed to characterize the humic substances (HS) extracted from landfills wastewater – leachates, with different ages of exploration. To reach the objective it was applied spectroscopy techniques, UV-Vis and FTIR spectra, as well as the ratio between the absorbance analysed. First, the HS were extracted, then fractionated in fulvic acids (FA) and humic acids (HA) and it was evaluated the phytotoxicity. HS content in the leachates were higher than the typical values found in the natural aquatic humic sources. It has been identified that the leachate HS, HA and FA aromatic fractions increased with the increase of the landfilling age, suggesting that the degree of humification increased with the landfilling age. All the HS showed a high aromaticity and humification degree. The HS extracts irrespective of their source presents similar structural composition. The functional groups found are in agreement with the literature: phenols, alcohols, carboxylic groups, aliphatic structures, among others. It was found that HA are mainly organic matter with a higher aromatic degree than FA. The HS and HA showed absence of phytotoxicity, testing by germination index, suggesting that may be used to produce liquid organic fertilizers.

Physical and biological controls on fine sediment transport and storage in rivers

Excess fine sediment, comprising particles <2 mm in diameter, is a major cause of ecological degradation in rivers. The erosion of fine sediment from terrestrial or aquatic sources, its delivery to the river, and its storage and transport in the fluvial environment are controlled by a complex interplay of physical, biological, and anthropogenic factors. While the physical controls exerted on fine sediment dynamics are relatively well‐documented, the role of biological processes and their interactions with hydraulic and physicochemical phenomena has been largely overlooked. The activities of biota, from primary producers to predators, exert strong controls on fine sediment deposition, infiltration, and resuspension. For example, extracellular polymeric substances associated with biofilms increase deposition and decrease resuspension. In lower energy rivers, aquatic macrophyte growth and senescence are intimately linked to sediment retention and loss, whereas riparian trees are dominant ecosystem engineers in high energy systems. Fish and invertebrates also have profound effects on fine sediment dynamics through activities that drive both particle deposition and erosion depending on species composition and abiotic conditions. The functional traits of species present will determine not only these biotic effects but also the responses of river ecosystems to excess fine sediment. We discuss which traits are involved and put them into context with spatial processes that occur throughout the river network. While strides towards better understanding of the impacts of excess fine sediment have been made, further progress to identify the most effective management approaches is urgently required through close communication between authorities and scientists.This article is categorized under: Water and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems Water and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems Science of Water > Water Quality

Effect of waterlogging on soil biochemical properties and organic matter quality in different salt marsh systems

This study investigated the effects of hydroperiod on soil organic matter quality in three different salt marshes in the Baiona lagoon (N Italy) representing terrestrial, intertidal and subaqueous ecosystems in the area. The study specifically aimed to gain some insight into how soil waterlogging (hydroperiod) affects the chemical and biological properties of soils as well as the quality and structure of the soil organic matter (SOM). Total contents of selected nutrients, total organic carbon and carbon stable isotope (δ13C) were measured in all soil profiles. The results of these analyses enabled us to define the different origin of the SOM by discriminating between terrestrial and aquatic SOM sources. The findings also show that accumulation of nutrients and SOM is significantly magnified in intertidal systems, in which pedoturbation effects induced by water movements are particularly strong. In addition, DRIFT spectra of humic acids revealed the changes in the main functional groups in relation to increased waterlogging, highlighting the lower aromaticity and complexity in subaqueous soils (SASs), which is possibly due to the effect of the soil water saturation on the chemical and biological SOM transformation processes. Microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial quotient (Qmic) and the activities of some soil enzymes were measured to estimate soil metabolic activity in the systems and to evaluate how the microbial pool contributes to transforming the SOM. In all systems, the enzymatic activities were generally higher in subsurface horizons than in the surface horizon. This unexpected behaviour can be explained by the combined effect of water movement, erosion processes and preservation of SOM under anaerobic conditions. This study represents an attempt to investigate and understand the ongoing degradation processes in salt marsh ecosystems. The findings emphasize the strong influence of water flow and erosional processes associated with soil waterlogging on chemical and biological reactions in intertidal and subaqueous systems.

Effects of processing on stability of water- and fat-soluble vitamins, pigments (C-phycocyanin, carotenoids, chlorophylls) and colour characteristics of Spirulina platensis

Spirulina platensis is an important aquatic source of functional components in foods and pharmaceutical products. The main purpose of present research was investigating the effect of processing met...

Fungal chitosan from Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Sing. Chaidam increased the stability and antioxidant activity of liposomes modified with biosurfactants and loading betulinic acid

Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Sing. Chaidam, a special brown mushroom with thick body indigenous in Chaidam basin, was used for fungal chitosan extraction. FTIR, XRD and DSC spectra showed that fungal chitosan was similar to commercial chitosan from aquatic sources. Fungal chitosan and commercial chitosan were used to coat on betulinic acid-loaded liposomes modified with biosurfactants mannosylerythritol lipid A (MEL-A), respectively. After chitosan coating, the mean size, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency of both liposomes increased. The liposomes coated with fungal chitosan were discovered to have smaller size and higher zeta potential. Furthermore, the wall material MEL-A and coating material chitosan endue liposomes with increased antioxidant capacity. Fungal chitosan coated liposomes also have stronger antioxidant effects than commercial chitosan. The findings implied that the fungal chitosan coated liposomes modified with MEL-A can be considered as a promising delivery system with enhanced antioxidant effects for bioactive compounds.

Aberration of Metals Competing for Iron on Exposure to Lambda Cyhalothrin and Aflatoxins in Dietary Fish from Selected Aquatic Sources in Kenya

<p><em>Excess or deficiency of minerals may seriously disturb biochemical processes and upset internal homeostasis, leading to various diseases and disorders in fish species due to deficiency or excess of micro and macro elements caused by improper nutrition, avitaminosis or poisoning. The specific objectives of the study were to determine the iron levels and aberration of metals competing on exposure to lambda-cyhalothrin and aflatoxins in dietary fish from selected aquatic sources in Kenya. The concentration of elements cadmium, zinc, and iron in Oreochromis niloticus and Clarias gariepinus bred in Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute at Sagana and obtained from River Nyando was measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Iron availability was lower on treatment with Aflatoxin compared to Lambda-Cyhalothrin with a mean of 3.66 ± 0.84 mg/kg, but on subjection to zinc, competition was 3.82 mg/kg on consideration of zinc competition. The naturally occurring toxins cause micronutrient deprival and therefore relevant stakeholders be keen to prevent contamination from farm to fork.</em></p>

Large greenhouse gases emissions from China's lakes and reservoirs

Freshwaters are important sources of greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere that may partially offset the terrestrial carbon sink. However, current emission estimates from inland waters remain uncertain due to data paucity in key regions with a large freshwater surface area, such as China. Here, we show that the areal fluxes of GHGs (carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide) from lakes and reservoirs in China are much larger than previous estimates. Our work summarized data from 310 lakes and 153 reservoirs, and revealed diffusive emissions of 1.56 (95% confidence interval: 1.12–2.00) Tg C-CH4/y and 25.2 (20.8–29.5) Tg C-CO2/y from reservoirs and lakes. Chinese lakes and reservoirs emit 175.0 (134.7–215.3) Tg CO2 equivalent, with 73.4% of this forcing contributed by lakes. These aquatic sources are equivalent to 14.1%–22.6% of China's estimated terrestrial carbon sink. Our results suggest a disproportionally high contribution of China's reservoirs and lakes to national and global GHGs emissions, highlighting major data gaps and the need of including more artificial and natural lakes data from developing countries like China in global GHGs budgets.

A landscape perspective of Holocene organic carbon cycling in coastal SW Greenland lake-catchments

Arctic organic carbon (OC) stores are substantial and have accumulated over millennia as a function of changes in climate and terrestrial vegetation. Arctic lakes are also important components of the regional C-cycle as they are sites of OC production and CO2 emissions but also store large amounts of OC in their sediments. This sediment OC pool is a mixture derived from terrestrial and aquatic sources, and sediment cores can therefore provide a long-term record of the changing interactions between lakes and their catchments in terms of nutrient and C transfer. Sediment carbon isotope composition (δ13C), C/N ratio and organic C accumulation rates (C AR) of 14C-dated cores covering the last ∼10,000 years from six lakes close to Sisimiut (SW Greenland) are used to determine the extent to which OC dynamics reflect climate relative to lake or catchment characteristics. Sediment δ13C ranges from −19 to −32‰ across all lakes, while C/N ratios are <8 to >20 (mean = 12), values that indicate a high proportion of the organic matter is from autochthonous production but with a variable terrestrial component. Temporal trends in δ13C are variable among lakes, with neighbouring lakes showing contrasting profiles, indicative of site-specific OC processing. The response of an individual lake reflects its morphometry (which influences benthic primary production), the catchment:lake ratio, and catchment relief, lakes with steeper catchments sequester more carbon. The multi-site, landscape approach used here highlights the complex response of individual lakes to climate and catchment disturbance, but broad generalisations are possible. Regional Neoglacial cooling (from ∼5000 cal yr BP) influenced the lateral transfer of terrestrial OC to lakes, with three lakes showing clear increases in OC accumulation rate. The lakes likely switched from being autotrophic (i.e. net ecosystem production > ecosystem respiration) in the early Holocene to being heterotrophic after 5000 cal yr BP as terrestrial OC transfer increased.

Wind-driven spume droplet production and the transport of Pseudomonas syringae from aquatic environments.

Natural aquatic environments such as oceans, lakes, and rivers are home to a tremendous diversity of microorganisms. Some may cross the air-water interface within droplets and become airborne, with the potential to impact the Earth’s radiation budget, precipitation processes, and spread of disease. Larger droplets are likely to return to the water or adjacent land, but smaller droplets may be suspended in the atmosphere for transport over long distances. Here, we report on a series of controlled laboratory experiments to quantify wind-driven droplet production from a freshwater source for low wind speeds. The rate of droplet production increased quadratically with wind speed above a critical value (10-m equivalent 5.7 m/s) where droplet production initiated. Droplet diameter and ejection speeds were fit by a gamma distribution. The droplet mass flux and momentum flux increased with wind speed. Two mechanisms of droplet production, bubble bursting and fragmentation, yielded different distributions for diameter, speed, and angle. At a wind speed of about 3.5 m/s, aqueous suspensions of the ice-nucleating bacterium Pseudomonas syringae were collected at rates of 283 cells m−2 s−1 at 5 cm above the water surface, and at 14 cells m−2 s−1 at 10 cm above the water surface. At a wind speed of about 4.0 m/s, aqueous suspensions of P. syringae were collected at rates of 509 cells m−2 s−1 at 5 cm above the water surface, and at 81 cells m−2 s−1 at 10 cm above the water surface. The potential for microbial flux into the atmosphere from aquatic environments was calculated using known concentrations of bacteria in natural freshwater systems. Up to 3.1 × 104 cells m−2 s−1 of water surface were estimated to leave the water in potentially suspended droplets (diameters <100 µm). Understanding the sources and mechanisms for bacteria to aerosolize from freshwater aquatic sources may aid in designing management strategies for pathogenic bacteria, and could shed light on how bacteria are involved in mesoscale atmospheric processes.

Origin, formation and environmental significance of des-A-arborenes in the sediments of an East African crater lake

Non-hopanoid pentacyclic triterpenoids occur widely in lake sediments, but their biological sources and diagenetic pathways are not fully resolved. We tentatively identified a number of des-A-arborene isomers occurring in relatively high abundance in the 25,000 year (25 kyr) sedimentary record of Lake Chala, a deep crater lake in tropical East Africa. The mono-, di- and tri-unsaturated des-A-arborenes are transformation products of isoarborinol/arborinone. These precursors have an aquatic source and are most likely biosynthesized by algae or aerobic bacteria in the epilimnion. The relatively depleted δ13C values (on average −32.3‰ ± 1.3‰) of des-A-arbor-9(11)-ene are consistent with an aquatic source (algae or aerobic bacteria). In general, isoarborinol and its microbially induced transformation products are found in present and ancient tropical lacustrine settings (typically crater lakes) with permanently anoxic bottom waters and sediments. Based on molecular mechanics calculations of des-A-arborenes, it is clear that these transformation products are not in thermodynamic equilibrium, strongly indicating that their formation is microbially mediated. Subtle temporal and spatial differences in the microbial community might therefore not only dictate the variable relative contributions of different des-A-arborenes found in the sediments of Lake Chala over the last 25 kyr, but also explain the distribution of arborane derivatives in comparable crater-lake settings elsewhere.

(MoS4)2− intercalated CAMoS4⋅LDH material for the efficient and facile sequestration of antibiotics from aqueous solution

We introduced (MoS4)2− moiety into the lamellar layers of Ca0.66Al0.34(OH)2(NO3)0.34⋅yH2O to fabricate Ca0.66Al0.34(OH)2(MoS4)0.17⋅yH2O (CA-MoS4⋅LDH), a stable and efficient adsorbent for removal of two envoy Fluoroquinolones (FQs), Ciprofloxacin (CIP) and Ofloxacin (OFL), from contaminated aquatic sources. Various characterization tools, such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning electron microscopy, Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and Thermogravimetric analyses etc. were applied to confirm structural and compositional changes during the synthesis and adsorption properties of CA-MoS4⋅LDH. The efficiency of adsorbent was investigated by evaluating different parameters including contact time, pH of solution, initial concentration of pollutant, and effect of temperature. By using CA-MoS4⋅LDH as adsorbent, we found more efficient removal of CIP than that of OFL due to the steric hindrance. The highest uptake of 707.20 mg/g and 476.74 mg/g of CIP and OFL, respectively, was found at pH of 6 with improved kinetics and easily reusability for these representative antibiotics models so far. Removal kinetics of both FQs were found to better follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model than the pseudo-first-order. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was employed to understand the removal process, suggesting monolayer chemisorption mechanism. The adsorbate-adsorbent interaction revealed remarkable features originate from the combination of weak hydrogen bond interaction between thio group and NH2+ group of antibiotic and electrostatic interaction between positive LDH layer and COO− group of antibiotic as well, and anion exchange mechanisms, which were also confirmed by XRD, FTIR, XPS and Raman spectrum etc. obtained after adsorption. It is proposed that all (MoS4)2− moiety offers stability to the CA-MoS4⋅LDH structure to avoid its solubility under ambient environments.

Isotopic reconstruction of diet in Medieval Thebes (Greece)

In the present isotopic study we assess the dietary patterns of a medieval population in Greece. Three isotopes were measured (δ13Ccoll, δ13Cap, δ15Ν) in a skeletal sample from Thebes, consisting of 16 adult individuals (7 males, 9 females) dated at 13th–14th c. CE. According to historical sources many different ethnicities co-existed in Thebes during the stated period, as Greece was under the Crusader's occupation. Thus, a possible dietary diversity could be expected. The basic aims of the present study are to reconstruct the dietary habits of the stated population by quantifying the individual human diet, to detect possible dietary differentiations in relation to sex and age and to compare our results with the ones of other medieval sites primarily in Greece and secondly in the Mediterranean. According to the isotopic and statistical analysis the population studied showed a significant diversity, as half of the sample assessed seemed to have been reliant on a typical C3 terrestrial diet, whereas the other half consumed both C3 and C4 sources. In particular, C4 items (i.e. millet) seem to have been a major staple for a singular female adult (Th22; δ13Ccoll: −11‰; δ15N: 10‰; δ13Cap: −5.5‰). In addition, based on the Δ13Cap-coll values, it seems possible that aquatic sources constituted a food source for three specific adults. Therefore, this study sheds light to the importance of identifying singular cases in generic isotopic patterns, and encourages the inclusion of apatite's signature in palaeodietary reconstructions of populations from Greece.

An in vitro and in silico study on the antioxidant and cell culture-based study on the chemoprotective activities of fish muscle protein hydrolysates obtained from European seabass and gilthead seabream

European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax, Linnaeus, 1758) (L) and gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata, Linnaeus, 1758) (C) muscles were hydrolysated by Alcalase (Lalc, Calc) and Chymotrypsin (Lch, Cch) then hydrolysates were examined and their peptide profiles obtained. A total of 765, 794, 132 and 232 peptides were identified in Calc, Lalc, Cch and Lch, respectively. Although, Lch and Cch were expected to have more antioxidant capacity because of their peptide profiles, Alcalase hydrolysates observed in vitro, were slightly higher (TEAC assay for Calc: 848.11 ± 60.78 μmol TE/g protein). Maximum inhibition of oxidative stress was determined for Lalc (12.8% ± 4.5%) in MDCK1 cell lines. Highest proliferative capacity observed for Calc (147.0% ± 3.1%) at MTT assay in MDCK1 cell culture. Lch showed the highest chemopreventive effect with a 40–60% decrease for human colon adenocarcinoma cell line HT-29. This research points out the importance of aquatic sources as raw materials for peptide researches.

Relation to enterocins of variable Aeromonas species isolated from trouts of Slovakian aquatic sources and detected by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry.

Aeromonads represent bacteria thought to be primarily mostly autochthonous to aquatic environments. This study was focused on the relation with antibiotics and enterocins of identified Aeromonas species isolated from the intestine of trouts living in Slovakian aquatic sources. Intestinal samples from 50 trouts (3 Salmo trutta and 47 Salmo gairdnerii) were collected in April of years 2007, 2010, and 2015 from trouts of different water sources in Slovakia (pond Bukovec near Košice, river Čierny Váh). Due to the MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry evaluation, 25 strains were proposed to the genus Aeromonas involving nine different species (Aeromonas bestiarum-nine strains, Aer. salmonicida-four strains, Aer. encheleia, Aer. eucrenophila, Aer. molluscorum, Aer. media, Aer. sobria, Aer. popoffii, Aer. veronii). Phenotypic evaluation of individual strains confirmed their species identification. Twenty-five strains of different Aeromonas species were sensitive to azithromycin, amikacin, mecillinam, mezlocillin, piperacillin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, and tetracycline. On the other side, they were resistant to carbenicillin and ticarcillin. The growth of Aer. bestiarum R41/1 was inhibited by treatment with Ent M and Ent 2019 (inhibition activity 100AU/mL). Aer. bestiarum R47/3 was inhibited by eight enterocins (100AU/mL). It is the first study testing enterocins to inhibit the growth of Aeromonas species from trouts.

Auditory exostosis: Exploring the daily life at an early sedentary population (Körtik Tepe, Turkey)

AbstractAuditory exostosis (AE) is a bony anomaly located on the tympanic portion of the temporal bone. Cold water, wind chill, and the effects of temperature are considered to be contributors to the development of AE. It is frequently encountered among surfers, lifeguards, whitewater kayakers, swimmers, and divers. Accordingly, there is a strong relationship between prolonged exposure to cold water and the frequency and grade of AE. For this reason, AE can be accepted as an occupational anomaly.In this study, AE from Körtik Tepe, Turkey, were analysed to understand the lifestyle of early hunter gatherer populations from Anatolia. One hundred twenty‐eight individuals and 174 temporal bones from Körtik Tepe were examined for the frequency and severity (graded) of AE. Forty‐five individuals (35.2%) have exostosis of various sizes. Half of 40 male individuals and 42.5% of females (n: 40) have AE with no statistically significant difference between the sexes. First observed in individuals 7 years of age, severity and frequency of AE increase with age. Besides increasing in frequency, the increase in size of AE suggest a continuous and prolonged exposure to cold water.The people of Körtik Tepe, which is surrounded by numerous freshwater sources, must have been subjected to cold water through activities such as bathing, cleaning, swimming, and playing in the water, as well as fishing. Our results suggest that the lifestyle of early sedentary people in Körtik Tepe was rather egalitarian with little or no gender differences and was closely connected to aquatic sources. Bioarchaeological data suggest that Körtik Tepe can be accepted as a community of hunter‐gatherer‐fishermen.

Correction: Occurrence of β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA) and Isomers in Aquatic Environments and Aquatic Food Sources for Humans. Toxins 2018, 10, 83.

The authors wish to correct the citation of some references in this paper[...]

Reservoir Effects in a Stone Age Fjord on Lolland, Denmark

ABSTRACTOn the island of Lolland, southeast Denmark, an area of almost 300 ha is currently under archaeological investigation prior to the planned construction of a tunnel between Denmark and Germany under the Femern belt. The area investigated in the context of the “Femern project” includes a former fjord or lagoon, which was used both as an economic resource and as background for ritual activities in the Neolithic. The wetland conditions give excellent preservation conditions for organic material. A yet unsolved issue, however, is the question of reservoir effects. The local reservoir effect needs to be known for accurate radiocarbon (14C) dating of samples with possible aquatic carbon sources, such as human bones or food residues on pottery. Therefore, this paper attempts to calculate the local reservoir effect for the study area. I will discuss the possibilities and limitations when analyzing 14C dates from a rescue excavation. When applying the estimated reservoir corrections to a hoard of jaws and other bones, an interesting change in ritual activity at ca. 4000 cal BC can be observed. Furthermore, I examined 14C dates on bulk organic sediment and will discuss their implications for building chronologies and for reconstructing the environment of the Stone Age fjord. Finally, I will discuss the pitfalls and uncertainties associated with 14C dates for sea level reconstruction.