The central scientific question of the priority program was to improve the knowledge of geo-chemical processes in seepage and groundwater - with the specific aim to quantify the impact of human influences. From the very beginning the priority program was re-stricted to those questions that could be handled within the limited period of six years. Hence we concentrated on three groups of substances: Natural organic substances, anthropogenic organic substances (i.e., PAK, BTEX, PCB) as well as metals, relevant to the environment.


This volume has two slightly different objectives: First of all it represents the international conference "GeoProc2002", which took place in Bremen from March 4-7, 2002 - a meeting that was designed specifically to address the subject of geo-chemical processes in seepage and groundwater. Over six years the German Science Foundation (DFG) funded priority program 546 "Geochemical Processes with long-term effects in anthropogenically affected seepage and groundwater". The results of 6 years of research were presented at the GeoProc2002 conference, and therefore this book also represents the conclusion of this priority program.