ABSTRACT

An apparent temporal increase in Mn and As in a thin surface layer (ca. 2 cm) of sediments in Lake Biwa, Japan, was observed by comparing depth profile data from 1977 and 2009. By our estimation, several thousand tonnes of Mn and a few hundred tonnes of As newly accumulated during the 32 years to 2009. Given various methodological concerns and geochemical factors associated with Mn and As dynamics, this phenomenon is believed to have been caused by increased Mn and As influxes to the lake rather than by redistribution induced by the intra-annual decrease in the level of dissolved oxygen. Mass balance calculations indicated that it is unlikely that the recently accumulated quantities of Mn and As were supplied via rivers as dissolved phases; rather, ground-water is the more likely source of these quantities. Further monitoring surveys will be important for assessing the environmental impact of this temporal change.