Teltow Canal

Schwartzbauer J, M Ricking, R Littke (2003) DDT-related compounds bound to the non-extractable particulate matter in sediments of the Teltow Canal, Germany. Environ Sci Technol 37 488-495. 

Heim, S., M. Ricking, J. Schwarzbauer, and R. Littke. 2005. Halogenated compounds in a dated sediment core of the Teltow canal, Berlin Time related sediment contamination. Chemosphere 61 1427-1438. 

The areas of investigation are spatially restricted. Studies on river water or sediments focussed on selected areas of the Elbe and Rhine river systems comprising the Havel and Spree river (exclusively in the urban area of Berlin), the Elbe estuaiy (German Bight), the Teltow Canal, as well as the Lippe river and the middle Rhine river. Investigations on groundwater contamination were exclusively restricted to two small areas in North-Rhine/Westfalia (Fig. 9). 

Furthermore, a long term storage in flow restricted subaquatic areas (e.g. harbours or bayous) represent a metastable output of sedimentary riverine matter. This phenomena is considered in an investigation performed on a river sediment core from the Teltow Canal (chapter 5.2.3). In particular DDT-related substances are analysed in order to obtain information on the long time emission of an industrial point source. Also an undisturbed sedimentation allows the correlation of the quantitative data obtained from the core samples with a geochronological determination of the pollutants. 

T1 Teltow Canal, km 3, Berlin-Grunau Factory outlet 07-94 EB 7.1 0.20... 

Fig. 2 Concentrations of alkylsulfonic acid phenylesters (molecular structure is given in the upper box) in sediment samples of the Spree river (S10 and SI 4) and the Teltow Canal (T5 and T6). On the x-axis the homologues series with aliphatic side chain length ranging from CJ3 to Ci8 and the individual positional isomers of each homologues groups (7-/6-, 5-, 4- 3-. = position of substitution at the side chain) are noted according to Franke et al 1998a. All concentrations are given in ng/g dry matter.

Anthropogenic organic contaminants incorporated into the non extractable particulate matter of riverine sediments from the Teltow Canal (Berlin) ... 

Four sediment samples were taken in 1998 and 1999 from three locations at the Teltow Canal in Berlin, as indicated in Fig. 1. In addition to the surface sediment samples T1 and T3 taken by means of a 4L Ekman-Birge grab sampler a short sediment core T2 was obtained by using a tube coring device. The sediment core was subdivided into an upper part T2a (0-3 cm) and a lower part T2b (3-10 cm), that represents an older accumulation time between 1980 and 1990. 

Fig. 3 Curie-point pyrolysis gas chromatogram of the non-extractable residue of a Teltow Canal sediment (Curie-point temperature 510° C).

Fig. 4 Ion chromatogramms of selected substances identified in the non-extractable residue of Teltow Canal sediments reflecting the chemical composition of the natural macromolecular organic matter.

Furthermore as a result of industrial emissions the Teltow Canal sediments are highly polluted by the pesticides DDT and methoxychlor, accompanied by several metabolites (Schwarzbauer et al. 2001). Accordingly, numerous DDT-related compounds were identified in the hydrolysis extracts including DDE 6, DDMU 7, DDNU 8 and DDM 9. Highest concentrations were observed for DDA 10 and DBP IT, the more polar degradation products of DDT. 

A second group of specific xenobiotics in Teltow Canal sediments are halogenated aromatics. Several chlorinated and brominated mono- and diaromatic hydrocarbons were detected in high amounts within the extractable organic matter as reported previously (Schwarzbauer et al. 2001). The halogenated arenes identified in the hydrolysis extracts included mono- and dichlorinated naphthalenes 12+13. mono- and dihrominated naphthalenes 14+15. tetra- to hexachlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and 2,4,6-tribomoaniline. The peak pattern of the chlorinated naphthalenes was similar to the congener distribution in technical mixtures e.g. Halowax 1000 (Falandysz 1998). 

Teltow Canal sediments after separate chemical degradation procedures. 

Tab. 2 Summary of selected anthropogenic contaminants identified in the extracts of the Teltow Canal sediments as published previously (Schwarzbauer et al. 2001 Ricking et al. 2003). Compounds not identified in the non-extractable residue after application of chemical or pyrolytic degradation procedures are given in italics.

Various degradation techniques have been applied to highly contaminated sediment samples from the Teltow Canal (Berlin, Germany) in order to reveal information about the incorporation of xenobiotics into the non-extractable particulate matter. Earlier reported studies have indicated a high contamination of the Teltow Canal by the pesticide 2,2-(4-chlorophenyl)-l,l,l-trichloroethane DDT and its metabolites due to industrial emissions (Heinisch et al. 1990, Heinisch 1992 Heberer and Dunnbier 1999 Schwarzbauer et al. 2001). 

The sediment samples taken in 1998 and 1999 from three locations at the Teltow Canal in Berlin situated near a former pesticides producing... 

Data on TOC and dry matter are listed in Tab. 1. The sampling locations were carefully chosen to represent the source, the accumulation a few hundred meters downflow the effluent and an additional potential source in former East-Berlin. All samples were taken in accumulation areas prior to the clean-up of former waste deposits in the Teltow Canal. 

Tab. 1 Samples of Teltow Canal sediments with data on TOC and dry matter...

Tab. 2 DDT related compounds identified and quantified in Teltow Canal sediments ...

Four sediment samples (Tla, Tib, T2, T3) obtained from three different sampling locations (see Fig. 1) were investigated by analyses of extractable and non-extractable organic components. The sampling locations were situated in the Teltow Canal near a former pesticide producing chemical plant. Former analyses applied to sediment samples from the same area indicated a high contamination with halogenated compounds and pesticides as a result of industrial emissions (Schwarzbauer et al. 2001). 

Tab. 3 DDT related compounds quantified in extracts of Teltow Canal sediment samples (concentrations are given in jrg/kg dry matter).

Alkaline hydrolysis, which attacks mainly ester linkages, applied to Teltow Canal sediment residues released a wide variety of DDT-related compounds including DBP, DDA, DDOH, DDM, DDNU, DDMU, DDE and DDEt (see Tab. 4).The total amount of DDT-related compounds released by hydrolysis ranged between 35000 and 130000 pg/kg. These results are in the same concentration range as the DDT-metabolites in the extractable fraction. 

Further investigations revealed not only the presence of DDT and its metabolites in Teltow Canal sediments but also the occurrence of 2,4 and 4,4 -methoxychlor (MDT) at elevated concentrations (up to 1100 pg/kg) (22). As methoxychlor is structurally related to DDT, MDT-related compounds were also included in the quantitative analyses (see Tab. 6). We detected MDT, MDD, MDE, MDB and MDA in the extracts and partly in the hydrolysis product mixtures of all four sediment samples. The total amounts ranged between 600 and 8000 pg/kg in the extracts and between 1200 and 6000 pg/kg after application of the hydrolysis procedure. In degradation products after BBr3-treatment and RuC -oxidation no MDT-related substances were analysed likely due to the lower concentration level as compared to the DDT-related compounds. 

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