Fuel regulation in inland navigation: Reduced soil black carbon deposition in river valleys in Germany

摘要: Abstract Inland navigation is of increasing economic and ecological interest, however its contribution to environmental quality hardly known. We hypothesized that i) inland emits considerable amounts soot-Black Carbon (BC) as a product incomplete combustion diesel fuel, which then deposited on soils along river valleys, ii) improvement fuel by sulfur reduction in 2011 decreased BC inputs soil, iii) this provides tracer for the spatial impact emissions. The temporal patterns soil deposits from were investigated yearly (2010–2013) working within transects perpendicular rivers Rhine, Moselle Ahr, Germany (the Ahr Valley free shipping served reference). In rural areas at waterways likely represented dominant emitter. Topsoils (0–10 cm depth) sampled vineyards. Their content composition was determined via oxidation bulk organic matter benzene polycarboxylic acids (BPCAs). highly trafficked Rhine yielded only little more (64.7 ± 12 g BC kg −1 carbon (SOC) compared 51.7 ± 9 Moselle, 53.6 ± 6 reference Valley). At both increased towards river, following simulated dispersal ship-derived using Lagrangian model. course ship regulation, significantly 70.2 ± 3.2 47.9 ± 1.1 57.6 ± 1.3 41.7 ± 0.9 g BC kg SOC 3 years. Even pronounced change composition, i.e., ratio pentacarboxylated mellitic acid 0.75 1.3 (Rhine) 1 1.4 (Moselle) during time span. From we calculated ∼30% less due reduced emissions after regulation diesel.