Relevance of Contaminated Sediment Studies in the Great Lakes to Pollution Assessment and Control in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract

In the Laurentian Great Lakes of North America, pollution status, trends and source identification have benefitted greatly from systematic collection and analyses of lake bottom sediments. Similar systematic surveys, using strict sampling and analytical protocols, might provide the same type of valuable information for the Mediterranean, especially for nearshore areas, off the mouth of major rivers or for entire regional seas such as the Adriatic or Aegean.