A high-resolution geochemical profilefrom a 5,500-year-old sediment core of Lake Lehmilampiin eastern Finland was analyzed to study longtermtrends and variability in element concentrationsand accumulation rates. The accumulation rates of allstudied elements followed the same trend, respondingto changes in the total sedimentation rate. Concentrationprofiles differed among elements and showedconsiderable variation over time. Principal componentsanalysis (PCA) was used on the concentrationdata to identify groups of elements that have similargeochemical controls. The first principal componentwas influenced by changes in mineral matter accumulation,and it incorporated elements that areassociated with stable allochthonous minerals (suchas Mg, K, Cs, Rb, Li, Ti and Ga), as well as elementsin forms that become diluted when mineral matterincreases (e.g., S, Fe and Mn). The second and thirdprincipal components showed that a large proportionof the variance was accounted for by elements withcontinuously increasing or decreasing concentrationsrelated to pedogenetical development of the catchmentsoil. In the case of Hg, Pb and Cd, however,accumulation rates increased faster at the surface thanis simply accounted for by changes in total sedimentationrates. For Cu, Cr, Ni and Zn, concentrationsincreased over the past 150 years, but there were noindications of a significant addition due to atmosphericdeposition. These elements had more variableconcentrations before the mid nineteenth century thanafter, as did elements that are often used fornormalization. These findings suggest that lakesediments may not properly reflect the history of atmospheric metal deposition in remote areas.

The distribution and controls of trace elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and U) in shallow groundwater in discharge and recharge zones were analysed at two sites on the Baltic coast of Sweden; one granite-dominated and one with a significant addition of calcite. Although the study sites differ in overburden geochemistry and groundwater trace metal concentrations, which were well reflected in the general groundwater composition, the relative hydrochemical differences between recharge and discharge ground waters were similar at both sites, and temporally stable. The concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni and U were higher in soil tubes in recharge areas, but Cr was higher in discharge zones. Also concentrations of HS, Fe, Mn and NH₄ were higher in discharge samples, which in combination with increased ³⁴S values provide strong evidence of a transition from oxidizing to more reducing conditions along the groundwater flow gradient. In terms of trace metals, this might mean either mobilisation due to dissolution of trace-metal carrying Fe(III) and Mn(IV) phases, or immobilisation caused by precipitation of discrete trace-metal sulfides or co-precipitation with Fe sulfides. The results from this study show that the latter is dominant in both the carbonate and granite environments for the metals Cd, Cu and Ni. Chromium concentrations were likely coupled to organic complexation and were higher in discharge groundwater, where DOC was also more abundant. As the concentration of several potentially toxic trace metals were found to differ between recharge and discharge areas, a climate driven change in hydrology might have a substantial impact on the distribution of these metals.

Metals frequently occur at contaminated sites, where their potential toxicity and persistence require risk assessments that consider possible long-term changes. Changes in climate are likely to affect the speciation, mobility, and risks associated with metals. This paper provides an example of how the climate effect can be inserted in a commonly used exposure model, and how the exposure then changes compared to present conditions. The comparison was made for cadmium (Cd) exposure to 4-year-old children at a highly contaminated iron and steel works site in southeastern Sweden. Both deterministic and probabilistic approaches (through probability bounds analysis, PBA) were used in the exposure assessment. Potential climate-sensitive variables were determined by a literature review. Although only six of the total 39 model variables were assumed to be sensitive to a change in climate (groundwater infiltration, hydraulic conductivity, soil moisture, soil:water distribution, and two bioconcentration factors), the total exposure was clearly affected. For example, by altering the climate-sensitive variables in the order of 15% to 20%, the deterministic estimate of exposure increased by 27%. Similarly, the PBA estimate of the reasonable maximum exposure (RME, defined as the upper bound of the 95th percentile) increased by almost 20%. This means that sites where the exposure in present conditions is determined to be slightly below guideline values may in the future exceed these guidelines, and risk management decisions could thus be affected. The PBA, however, showed that there is also a possibility of lower exposure levels, which means that the changes assumed for the climate-sensitive variables increase the total uncertainty in the probabilistic calculations. This highlights the importance of considering climate as a factor in the characterization of input data to exposure assessments at contaminated sites. The variable with the strongest influence on the result was the soil:water distribution coefficient (Kd).