Defining potential valuables through the characterisation of lake sediments: case study in Arkelstorp bay, Sweden

This study aims to characterise and discuss the potential use of sediment from the Arkelstorp bay located in the south of Sweden. Sediments from the Arkelstorp bay is collected and analysed on nutrient content, age, and potential contaminants. No organic environmental pollutants are found and the metal content are not elevated but still problematically high. For example, the amount of cadmium per phosphorus is 480 mg Cd kg −1 P. However, as the carbon 14-datings showed, the sediment is preindustrial. Therefore, the amount of registered cadmium comes naturally from the surrounding environment. Arkelstorp sediments present the potential to become a source of nutrition in agriculture. The results show that the material is a good source of nutrients, with a nitrogen content of 18 g kg −1 dry matter (DM), phosphorus 0.8 g kg −1 DM and potassium 2.4 g kg −1 DM respectively. However, the metal content is problematic to use the material without any pre-treatment. On the other hand, bioenergy production is expected to increase in the future, where this resource could potentially be helpful for the cultivation of bioenergy crops.