Hydro-ecological relations in the Delta Waters

the river Scheldt is deposited in the mudflats hwn as the l&
Sadtfnghe.
of
The sedimentation areas +-bferted to above will Be discussed fuzther in
the followdug sections.
Prom the turn of the century onwards, pollution in the &ke, Meum aad
Scheldt hssiaa increased rapidly as a rwult of industrial expansion
and fuzther population ~rowth ~5altaoo=,
1981). T'he mount OF pollutien
in these arras antimed to increase until ourxfmute levele were reached
during the period 1978-1915. As a censeqmence Large amaunts of hemetals
and ~rgaaic compamde have becnms attached ca tbe rrver
sediment.
Ja order to IRDnitw ttie sies&tron dxt@t the last Em beea~@s, t&
aSssciated leveLs haha been meas.me8~ at the pdiWs *here t&
t%i&
rivers boss cfre befdees, A BrtaFtd di*%usBi6h of tbe distrfbugion
and cbahpe.8 in We levels of ell rAe sutmtabces that ate etiiteifed is
bey6nd the heepe of tbe :pt@sent papet. ft h- therefore been dec-d to
caiaider the examp&e B£ the bedry eta1 cgdmium a mean of
illurifzatin~ the subje&t. This moral be rqardeli asi a Lacer for
othes pollutrmts. 'Ehe ehq.gS in associated 'e~dmfm level^ measql.e$ In
~nspended sediment is shmm as a Eu=Gion ef tim in Piwxe 4. 8y @aim
data from wre swig takq fw older sedtwnix if h,e. bsen p m l e
te rsganstruet the build-up of poll~tion the %be tthe first part
a£ $AA* centurp. Fellovfng tKe peak y.e%rrs ef the eaz.Llg IPtO's, clem-U$
measweB in the $Wue basttl &YE
led t~ B spectacuiaz sedwctioa in the
afnoudc of cadidurn pa.Uutioh. Coneentratimw &we 40.w he& recture-i te
Skse of