Ecosystem co-design for a sustainable Anthropocene
Talks:
13:30
Abstract 163
Spatial distribution of heavy metals in sediments of an electronic waste site in Ghana
by Paul K. Botwe | Hildegard Westphal | Mawusi Alornu | Reginald Quansah | Prudence Tettey | Nils Moosdorf
University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana | Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)| University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana | University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana | University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana | Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)
Due to their hazardous nature and threat to human health and the environment, heavy metal pollution has become a global issue, particularly in emerging countries such as Ghana. Agbogbloshie, a landfill site in Accra, Ghana has become a major dumping ground for electronic waste. To understand the pollution due to the waste handling practices, we investigated the extent of heavy metal pollution in the sediments in the area. Sediment samples were collected in two seasons (wet and dry) from an impacted river, lagoon and on the land surface. Elemental analyses of samples were conducted following standard analytical methods and procedures. The results indicated that, generally, toxic metals (Cd, Pb, As, Cu, Co, Cr and Ni) had elevated levels compared to international sediment quality guidelines. Pollution levels varied intensively with space and time. The contamination levels of toxic metals implies that the condition may be severely affecting the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystem in the Agbogbloshie area.
Poster
PA4: 15:15 – 15:45
Abstract 188
Holocene to Late Pleistocene Climate Reconstruction: A snapshot from the Red Sea using Micropalaeontological Tool
by Bhakti Shah | Karl-Heinz Baumann | Alexander Petrovic | Thomas Felis | Hildegard Westphal
Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT) | University of Bremen, Department of Geosciences | 4. Ali AKing Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) | Centre for Marine Environmental Sciences (MARUM) | Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research (ZMT)
Climate fluctuations and environmental changes have been integral to the Earth’s system since its formation. Studying these past changes could provide crucial insights into future climate variability, where records of environmental change within sediments can serve as keys to unlocking this information. Here, we focus on climatic shifts over the past 20,000 years based on micropaleontological data from sediment gravity cores collected from the Northern Red Sea near the Al-Wajh carbonate platform in Saudi Arabia. The Red Sea lies in the Sub-Tropical Saharan Desert belt, receiving nutrients through dust, with a narrow passage connecting it to the Mediterranean Sea to the North via the man-made Suez Canal and to the Arabian Sea in the South via the Gulf of Aden. This unique geographic positioning and setting make the Red Sea particularly interesting for paleo-climate research.
To understand the changes between dry and wet periods, we use a mix of methods, looking at coccolithophore types, studying sediment grain size, and examining minerals. The study shows a clear rise in total coccolithophore counts from the Mid-Holocene (>20,000 x 10^6), with an average of 1000 x 10^6 from the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to the Early Holocene. This trend is interrupted by a peak increase in counts linked to the formation of Sapropel RS-1b at the beginning of the Holocene. The variations in the number and distribution of the 35 identified coccolithophore species suggest changes in the environment, with higher estimated productivity during the Holocene. Also, two main wet periods stand out: (i) during the shift from H1 to the Bølling–Allerød warm period and (ii) at the start of the Holocene. These phases and shifts would be further discussed in details in poster.