Table 1 Overview on reported EHMC concentrations in European SPM samples and sediment (concentration unit: ng/g dw)

Germany, main rivers and tributaries

2005/06

SPM

2.7

100

3.3–72

13

18

our study

Germany, lakes near Leipzig

2007

sediment

5^a

100^b

14–34

n.a^c

n.a^c

[48]

Spain, Ebro river basin

2009

sediment

5.3

15

 < LOQ-42

 < LOQ

6

[49]

Spain, Andulusian coast

2012

sediment

0.129

83

 < LOQ-26.2

12.8

13.1

[50]

Norway, Oslofjord and Lake Mjøsa

2013

sediment

n.a^c

100^b

8–20

11

13

[51]

Sweden, Uppsala WWTP effluent, bathing lakes in South Sweden

2014

sediment

7

38

 < LOQ-35

 < LOQ

10

[46]

Spain, Catalan rivers

2014

SPM

6.5

0

 < LOQ

 < LOQ

 < LOQ

[42]

Italy, Adriatic Sea

2014

sediment

0.129

100

0.7–10.4

2.9

3.3

[52]

Greece, Evrotas river

2014/15

sediment

0.2

0

 < LOQ

 < LOQ

 < LOQ

[53]

Italy, Alpin rivers

2015

sediment

0.1

0

 < LOQ

 < LOQ

 < LOQ

[54]

Germany, German Bight, Baltic Sea, Skagerrak and Kattegat

2015/17

sediment

0.25

7

 < LOQ-0.32

 < LOQ

 < LOQ

[55]

Germany, main rivers and tributaries

2017

SPM

2.7

38

 < LOQ-7.9

 < LOQ

2.9

our study