Water bodies, especially those located in urban areas, can respond very quickly to pollution. A research team including Wojciech Tylmann analyzed this process using the example of Maljalahti Bay, situated near the city of Kuopio in Finland. The ecosystem’s responses to events such as sewage discharge, construction of a wastewater treatment plant, and the installation of a breakwater are recorded in the bottom sediments.
The case of Maljalahti Bay provides valuable insights into how water bodies exposed to anthropogenic pressure function, including urban lakes.
The publication presenting the study of Maljalahti Bay sediments was published in the journal Anthropocene.
Billah M., Tuovinen N., Salminen S., Tylmann W., Kalliokoski M., Saarni S., 2025, Varve record reveals rapid development of hypolimnetic anoxia in a Northern European lake resulting from urban activities. Anthropocene 100508. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2025.100508 LINK