Geochemical characterization of recent sediments in the Baltic Sea by bulk and electron microprobe analysis

Nineteen samples of silty and clayey sediments of the Baltic Sea were analyzed by bulk methods (atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry), as well as by electron probe X-ray microanalysis (EPXMA). Processing of the EPXMA-data resulted in nine different particle types which have been identified as different mineral species. Quartz and aluminosilicate particles are most abundant (often more than 95%), although they are not of much help for the characterization of the geochemistry of Baltic sediments. Reduction products, such as Fe-sulfides and rhodochrosite, are found in anoxic sediment environments (e.g. Gotland Deep). The oxides/hydroxides of iron and manganese are more indicative of toxic environments (e.g. Kattegat). In regions with periodic changes in the redox conditions, oxides/hydroxides and sulfides are detected side by side (e.g. Lübeck Bight, Arkona Basin). The detected Ca- and Ti-rich particles show a geographical dependence. The Ca-rich particles are found in the transition region between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. Ti-rich particles have high abundances around the coastlines of Germany (e.g. Lübeck Bight) and southern Poland. The results of the bulk analysis and of the individual particle analysis are often complementary