PCDD/F in recent and historical sediment layers of Lake Stechlin, Germany

Lake Stechlin sediment layers were dated and analysed for PCDD/F. The concentrations of PCDD/F in the investigated sediment have increased by a factor of about 100 since the last century and have decreased by a factor of two since the 1970s. The latter finding can be confirmed by recent temporal trends in human samples and herring-gull eggs. The homologue patterns especially for PCDF are subject to temporal variations and can be mainly related to municipal waste incineration and the impact of the precursor PCB. The overall time trend corresponds roughly with the anthropogenic world-wide production of chlorine.