Organic pollutants in soil and sediments

Organic pollutants originate from various sources along a river system. These pollutants are diffusely released in the system and bind to the clay particles in the sediment. We analysed samples and observed a good correlation between the concentration of radionuclides and organic pollutant concentration.

The case study of the spittelwasser project shows in a real life situation how this can be used to determine the total load of pollutants and map the hotspots in an area.