The Fate of Trace Pollutants in Natural Waters – Lakes as 'Real-World Test Tubes'

Abstract

Lakes play an important role as ecosystems and drinking-water supplies, but they are also ideal 'real-world test tubes' for studying the fate and behavior of trace pollutants in natural waters. The trace metals Cu, Zn, and Cd and the organic herbicide atrazine are used to illustrate the combined approach of field measurements and mathematical modeling to assess the behavior of pollutants in natural waters. In contrast to fast flowing waters (i.e., rivers), lakes act as integrators of pollutant inputs from surface waters of the respective catchment area, thus being regional indicators of human activities.