The effect of urbanisation on Laajalahti Bay, Helsinki City, as reflected by sediment geochemistry

Sediment geochemical techniques were used to assess how the sediment record reflects the loading and land use history of Laajalahti Bay, a semi-enclosed bay adjacent to the city of Helsinki, Finland. A dated sediment core was analysed for concentrations of Al, Ca, K, Mg, Na, Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn and total concentrations of C, N and P together with P fractions and biogenic silica (BSi) at intervals of 1 cm to a depth of 88 cm. Furthermore, five phases of development were identified in the sediment record by using principal components analysis and cluster analysis. The lithology of the core indicates sharp changes in the sedimentation environment in the earlier history of the embayment that are most likely due to isostatic uplift and changes in salinity. The most prominent recent trends were the increasing sedimentation rates and nutrient concentrations towards present. In addition, significant increases were observed in the concentrations of anthropogenic indicators Cu and Zn. In spite of decreased nutrient loading to Laajalahti Bay no significant signs of improvement were observed in the sediment record yet.