Most Seine River cores presented here intercept the 1945–2005 time window,
which covers the reconstruction period after the World War II, from 1945 to 1974,
also termed the Glorious Thirties. During that period, important changes and innovations occurred in the industrial sector. From 1970 to 2000, sewage collection and
treatment plants were generalised in the Paris megacity (ten million inhabitants),
i.e. more than two-thirds of the contamination point sources. Industries, which used
to discharge their wastes directly into river courses, installed recycling processes and
were gradually connected to sewage networks after 1970 [25]. Many heavy industries were delocalised outside the Paris area and then outside the Seine basin. During
that period, new types of products were consumed, new drugs were used, and some
products were legally withdrawn.
Since its beginning, the PIREN-Seine programme launched a series of studies on
particulate micropollutants in the basin, particularly on metals [29, 38–41] and PCBs
[42]. Other compounds such as PAHs, alkylphenols, PBDEs [15] and pharmaceuticals [19] were later studied. Various strategies have been set up: river profiles
upstream and downstream of Paris, temporal variations with river flow and TSS at
selected sampling stations, spatial distribution of the contamination using of fresh
floodplain deposits [43], in-depth source inventories and circulation of compounds
within the anthroposphere including atmospheric inputs. At the same time, the longterm history of human activities on the basin and of the social responses to water
quality issues was addressed [33, 44–46]. The selection of core sites, core analysis
and interpretation greatly benefited from this accumulated knowledge.
3.2 Regulatory Surveys Failed to Assess Micropollutants
(1971–2006)
In France, trace metals and chlorinated insecticides were first surveyed within three
national river quality inventories (1971, 1976 and 1981) on unfiltered waters, to
comply with World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water criteria. Analyses
were carried out 4 to 6 times per year at 25 key stations in the Seine River basin. Due
to substantial bias (contamination during field and laboratory operations, excessive
quantification limits in untrained laboratories), the first water quality inventory
carried out by the newly created Agence de l’Eau Seine-Normandie (AESN) did
not provide usable data [47]. The first environmental assessment of the European
Environmental Agency in 1994 [48] also failed to produce quantitative figures on
micropollutant concentrations.
The pioneering micropollutant studies in the Seine River basin were conducted on
river SPM and concerned trace elements such as Cd and Hg [49, 50]. These academic studies failed to assess the state of extreme contamination they observed given
the lack of sediment quality criteria and a reference natural background. Therefore,
their use for environmental assessment remained very limited. The use of sediment
archives had been recommended very early by marine scientists [51] and by the
Sedimentary Archives Reveal the Concealed History of Micropollutant. . .
277
which covers the reconstruction period after the World War II, from 1945 to 1974,
also termed the Glorious Thirties. During that period, important changes and innovations occurred in the industrial sector. From 1970 to 2000, sewage collection and
treatment plants were generalised in the Paris megacity (ten million inhabitants),
i.e. more than two-thirds of the contamination point sources. Industries, which used
to discharge their wastes directly into river courses, installed recycling processes and
were gradually connected to sewage networks after 1970 [25]. Many heavy industries were delocalised outside the Paris area and then outside the Seine basin. During
that period, new types of products were consumed, new drugs were used, and some
products were legally withdrawn.
Since its beginning, the PIREN-Seine programme launched a series of studies on
particulate micropollutants in the basin, particularly on metals [29, 38–41] and PCBs
[42]. Other compounds such as PAHs, alkylphenols, PBDEs [15] and pharmaceuticals [19] were later studied. Various strategies have been set up: river profiles
upstream and downstream of Paris, temporal variations with river flow and TSS at
selected sampling stations, spatial distribution of the contamination using of fresh
floodplain deposits [43], in-depth source inventories and circulation of compounds
within the anthroposphere including atmospheric inputs. At the same time, the longterm history of human activities on the basin and of the social responses to water
quality issues was addressed [33, 44–46]. The selection of core sites, core analysis
and interpretation greatly benefited from this accumulated knowledge.
3.2 Regulatory Surveys Failed to Assess Micropollutants
(1971–2006)
In France, trace metals and chlorinated insecticides were first surveyed within three
national river quality inventories (1971, 1976 and 1981) on unfiltered waters, to
comply with World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water criteria. Analyses
were carried out 4 to 6 times per year at 25 key stations in the Seine River basin. Due
to substantial bias (contamination during field and laboratory operations, excessive
quantification limits in untrained laboratories), the first water quality inventory
carried out by the newly created Agence de l’Eau Seine-Normandie (AESN) did
not provide usable data [47]. The first environmental assessment of the European
Environmental Agency in 1994 [48] also failed to produce quantitative figures on
micropollutant concentrations.
The pioneering micropollutant studies in the Seine River basin were conducted on
river SPM and concerned trace elements such as Cd and Hg [49, 50]. These academic studies failed to assess the state of extreme contamination they observed given
the lack of sediment quality criteria and a reference natural background. Therefore,
their use for environmental assessment remained very limited. The use of sediment
archives had been recommended very early by marine scientists [51] and by the
Sedimentary Archives Reveal the Concealed History of Micropollutant. . .
277