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Landis JD, Obrist D, Zhou J, Renshaw CE, McDowell WH, Nytch CJ, Palucis MC, Del Vecchio J, Montano Lopez F, Taylor VF. Quantifying soil accumulation of atmospheric mercury using fallout radionuclide chronometry. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5430. [PMID: 38926366 PMCID: PMC11208417 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49789-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 06/16/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Soils are a principal global reservoir of mercury (Hg), a neurotoxic pollutant that is accumulating through anthropogenic emissions to the atmosphere and subsequent deposition to terrestrial ecosystems. The fate of Hg in global soils remains uncertain, however, particularly to what degree Hg is re-emitted back to the atmosphere as gaseous elemental mercury (GEM). Here we use fallout radionuclide (FRN) chronometry to directly measure Hg accumulation rates in soils. By comparing these rates with measured atmospheric fluxes in a mass balance approach, we show that representative Arctic, boreal, temperate, and tropical soils are quantitatively efficient at retaining anthropogenic Hg. Potential for significant GEM re-emission appears limited to a minority of coniferous soils, calling into question global models that assume strong re-emission of legacy Hg from soils. FRN chronometry poses a powerful tool to reconstruct terrestrial Hg accumulation across larger spatial scales than previously possible, while offering insights into the susceptibility of Hg mobilization from different soil environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Landis
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
| | - Daniel Obrist
- Department of Environmental, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA
- Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, Davis, CA, 95616, USA
| | - Jun Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Carl E Renshaw
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - William H McDowell
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
- Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
| | - Christopher J Nytch
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras, San Juan, PR, 00925, USA
| | - Marisa C Palucis
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | | | | | - Vivien F Taylor
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
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2
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Cheney CL, Eccles KM, Kimpe LE, Lehnherr I, Blais JM. Mercury deposition to lake sediments near historic gold mines in northern Canada. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2024; 342:123038. [PMID: 38030109 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.123038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Revised: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/22/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) contamination in aquatic systems can lead to adverse human and environmental health outcomes. Yellowknife, a city in Canada's Northwest Territories, is a historic mining community, with two large gold mines (Giant Mine and Con Mine) that used Hg amalgamation methods to extract gold between ∼1938 and 1960. We analyzed dated sediment cores from 20 small lakes to investigate the spatial and temporal Hg deposition patterns within 50 km of Giant Mine. Breakpoint analysis of the within-lake z-score normalized anthropogenic Hg flux indicates two significant time periods of changing emission rates. The first is a significant increase in Hg deposition rate (∼1925) during the time of gold exploration in the region and onset of Hg amalgamation (1938) and the second is a significant decrease in deposition rate that begins around the time of the cessation of Hg amalgamation at Giant Mine (∼1959). Sediment Hg concentrations exceeded the Canadian Council for Ministers of the Environment Interim Sediment Quality Guideline (ISQG) for Hg (0.17 mg/kg dw) in 55% of the lakes (n = 11) during mining (1948-1999). All lakes within 5 km of the Giant Mine roaster stack exceeded CCME ISQG during mining (n = 8), with a 4-fold increase in total Hg concentration observed during mining at these near-field (<5 km from stack) sites. We observed evidence of enriched Hg in near-field, mid-field, and far-field sites. The elevated sedimentary Hg concentrations during mining in near-field sites would have posed a hazard to human and wildlife health during the height of emissions, however the significant decrease in Hg concentrations since the closure of mines in the region demonstrate the potential for recovery in these aquatic ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia L Cheney
- University of Ottawa, Department of Biology, 180 Gendron Hall, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Kristin M Eccles
- University of Toronto Mississauga, Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Linda E Kimpe
- University of Ottawa, Department of Biology, 180 Gendron Hall, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Igor Lehnherr
- University of Toronto Mississauga, Department of Geography, Geomatics and Environment, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada
| | - Jules M Blais
- University of Ottawa, Department of Biology, 180 Gendron Hall, 30 Marie Curie, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
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3
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Taylor VF, Landis JD, Janssen SE. Tracing the sources and depositional history of mercury to coastal northeastern U.S. lakes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE. PROCESSES & IMPACTS 2022; 24:1805-1820. [PMID: 36065894 DOI: 10.1039/d2em00214k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) deposition was reconstructed in sediment cores from lakes in two coastal U.S. National Parks: Acadia National Park (ANP) and Cape Cod National Seashore (CCNS), to fill an important spatial gap in Hg deposition records and to explore changing sources of Hg and processes affecting Hg accumulation in these coastal sites. Recent Hg deposition chronology was assessed using (1) a newly developed lead-210 (210Pb) based sediment age model which employs 7Be to constrain deposition and sediment mixing of 210Pb-excess, (2) coinciding Pb flux and isotope ratios (206Pb/207Pb), and (3) Hg isotope ratios and their response to changes in Hg flux. At both sites, Hg flux increased substantially from pre-1850 levels, with accumulation in ANP peaking in the 1970s, whereas in CCNS, Hg levels were highest in recent sediments. Negative values of δ202Hg and Δ199Hg indicated terrestrially-derived Hg was a major constituent of Hg flux to Sargent Mountain Pond, ANP, although recent decreases in Hg flux were in agreement with precipitation Hg records, indicating a rapid watershed response. By contrast, δ202Hg and Δ199Hg profiles in Long Pond, CNNS reflect direct Hg deposition, but disturbances in the sedimentary record were indicated by bomb fallout radionuclide inventories and by peaks in both Pb and Hg isotope depth profiles. These cores provided poor reconstructions of atmospheric deposition and reveal responses that are decoupled from emissions reduction due to complex post-depositional redistribution of atmospheric metals including Hg. The application of multiple tracers of Hg deposition provide insight into the sources and pathways governing Hg accumulation in these lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vivien F Taylor
- Department of Earth Science, 6105 Fairchild Hall, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Joshua D Landis
- Department of Earth Science, 6105 Fairchild Hall, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Sarah E Janssen
- U.S. Geological Survey Upper Midwest Water Science Center, Mercury Research Lab, 1 Gifford Pinchot Dr, Madison, WI 53726, USA
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4
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Wan D, Yang H, Song L, Jin Z, Mao X, Yang J. Sediment records of global and regional Hg emissions to the atmosphere in North China over the last three centuries. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 310:119831. [PMID: 35931386 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Reconstructing the long-term Hg history in major emission countries is important for understanding the global Hg cycle and controlling Hg pollution. In this study, the atmospheric Hg history was reconstructed over the last three centuries based on three lacustrine sediment records from southeastern Inner Mongolia in North China, and its relationship with global and regional Hg emissions was revealed. These records show little Hg pollution in the 18th and 19th centuries. This implies a limited influence of Hg emitted from Europe and North America in this region, which is confirmed by their different Hg trends during the two World Wars and the post-1970s. Atmospheric Hg in the region had increased gradually since the 1900s, primarily contributed by emissions from the former Soviet Union in Lake Dalihu (DLH) and Lake Zhagesitai (ZGST) and from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in Lake Kulunnao (KLN). In the last century, two decreases in Hg fluxes occurred in the KLN core due to the economic recession in the 1960s-1970s and reduced energy consumption and industrial production in the 1990s. In the DLH and ZGST cores, only one decrease occurred, corresponded with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the 1990s. Although atmospheric Hg emissions in China had stabilized or even decreased in the last decade, atmospheric Hg continued to increase, particularly in KLN, because of emissions from small cities in the region. This study can help understand Hg sources and control Hg pollution in North China and supplement the understanding of the global Hg cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dejun Wan
- School of Geographical Science, Nantong University, Nantong, 226007, China; Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050061, China.
| | - Handong Yang
- Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Lei Song
- Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050061, China
| | - Zhangdong Jin
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710075, China
| | - Xin Mao
- Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050061, China
| | - Jinsong Yang
- Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050061, China
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Gregory BRB, Kissinger JA, Clarkson C, Kimpe LE, Eickmeyer DC, Kurek J, Smol JP, Blais JM. Are fur farms a potential source of persistent organic pollutants or mercury to nearby freshwater ecosystems? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 833:155100. [PMID: 35398138 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.155100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Farming of carnivorous animals for pelts potentially contaminates nearby ecosystems because animal feed and waste may contain persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and metals. Mink farms in Nova Scotia (NS), Canada, provide mink with feed partially composed of marine fish meal. To test whether mink farms potentially contribute contaminants to nearby lakes, we quantified organochlorine pesticides (OCP), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), and total mercury (THg) in mink/aquaculture feed, waste, and sediment collected from 14 lakes within rural southwest NS where mink farms are abundant and have operated for decades. Mercury, PCBs, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH), and dieldrin were present in mink/aquaculture feed and mink waste, indicating they are potential contaminant sources. Lakes with mink farms in their catchment exhibited significantly higher THgflux than lakes downstream of mink farming activity and reference lakes (p < 0.0001) after the intensification of mink farming in 1980, indicating mink farming activity is likely associated with increased lacustrine THgflux. Sedimentary ƩPCBflux was elevated in lakes with mink farms in their catchments, suggesting possible PCB contributions from mink farming, local agriculture, and atmospheric deposition. Elevated ƩDDT in lakes near mink farms relative to reference lakes suggests a possible enrichment related to mink farming, although mixed land use and historical DDT usage related to forestry in the region complicates DDT source attribution. Maximum dieldrinflux and HCHflux in lake sediment occurred coeval with peak worldwide usage in the 1970s and are unlikely to be associated with local mink farming. Lakes with mink farming activities in their catchments were associated with increased THgflux, ƩPCBflux, and possibly ƩDDTflux, suggesting a possible connection between marine fish meal, fur farms, and aquatic ecosystems in NS.
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Affiliation(s)
- B R B Gregory
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada.
| | - J A Kissinger
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - C Clarkson
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - L E Kimpe
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - D C Eickmeyer
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - J Kurek
- Department of Geography and Environment, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB E4L 1E2, Canada
| | - J P Smol
- Paleoecolgical Environmental Assessment and Research Lab (PEARL), Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - J M Blais
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
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6
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Nováková T, Navrátil T, Schütze M, Rohovec J, Matoušková Š, Hošek M, Matys Grygar T. Reconstructing atmospheric Hg levels near the oldest chemical factory in central Europe using a tree ring archive. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 304:119215. [PMID: 35358634 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The Chemical Factory in Marktredwitz (CFM) is known as the oldest chemical factory in Germany (1778-1985), and from the beginning of the 20th century focused primarily on the production of mercury (Hg) compounds. Due to extensive pollution, together with employee health issues, the CFM was shut in 1985 by a government order and remediation works proceeded from 1986 to 1993. In this study, tree ring archives of European Larch (Larix decidua Mill.) were used to reconstruct changes of air Hg levels near the CFM. Mercury concentrations in larch boles decreased from 80.6 μg kg-1 at a distance of 0.34 km-3.4 μg kg-1 at a distance of 16 km. The temporal trend of atmospheric Hg emissions from the CFM reconstructed from the tree ring archives showed two main peaks. The first was in the 1920s, with a maximum tree ring Hg concentration 249.1 ± 43.9 μg kg-1 coinciding with when the factory had a worldwide monopoly on the production of Hg-based seed dressing fungicide. The second peak in the 1970s, with a maximum tree ring Hg concentration of 116.4 ± 6.3 μg kg-1, was associated with a peak in the general usage and production of Hg chemicals and goods. We used the tree ring record to reconstruct past atmospheric Hg levels using a simple model of Hg distribution between the larch tree rings and atmosphere. The precision of the tree ring model was checked against the results of air Hg measurements during the CFM remediation 30 years ago. According to the tree ring archives, the highest air Hg concentrations in the 1920s in Marktredwitz were over 70 ng m-3. Current air Hg levels of 1.18 ng m-3, assessed in the city of Marktredwitz, indicate the lowest air Hg in the past 150 years, underscoring the effective remediation of the CFM premises 30 years ago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Nováková
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Navrátil
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Martin Schütze
- Institut für Geoökologie, AG Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19C, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Jan Rohovec
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Šárka Matoušková
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Michal Hošek
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 250 01, Řež, Czech Republic; Faculty of Environment, J.E. Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem, Pasteurova 3632/15, 400 96, Ústí nad Labem, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Matys Grygar
- Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, 250 01, Řež, Czech Republic
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Pelletier N, Chételat J, Sinon S, Vermaire JC. Wildfires trigger multi-decadal increases in sedimentation rate and metal loading to subarctic montane lakes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 824:153738. [PMID: 35151741 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated how two large wildfires affected the sedimentation rate and accumulation of lead (Pb), mercury (Hg), and cadmium (Cd) in sediment of four subarctic montane lakes in the Yukon, Canada. The wildfires occurred 60 and 20 years (1958, 1998) before sediment collection in 2018. Site-specific fire exposure was inferred from the charcoal accumulation histories in the lake sediments and the burned catchment area was determined from historical fire maps. The two major wildfires caused a two to five-fold increase in sedimentation rates and a two to eight-fold increase in sediment metal accumulation rates in Little Fox Lake. The mass accumulation rates of metals in Little Fox Lake sediment increased by a maximum of 2.7-4.7 mg Pb m-2 yr-1, 19-29 μg Hg m-2 yr-1 and 37-114 μg Cd m-2 yr-1 following wildfires. Modelling using elemental ratios of lithogenic sources suggested a large proportion of the Pb and Hg accumulating in post-fire sediment was from remobilized legacy anthropogenic pollution. In contrast, Cd fluxes were consistent with variation in catchment weathering. Impacts of wildfires were visible but more muted in the sediment of Little Braeburn Lake, whereas Fox Lake and Grayling Lake sediments showed little to no wildfire impact and served as a reference for external (long-range) metal deposition. Major changes to lake sediment geochemistry in Little Fox Lake were caused by the lack of vegetation and soil recovery in the catchment following the severe 1998 fire. Wildfire impacts were persistent in the lake more than 20 years after the last fire, with no sign of a return to pre-fire Pb, Hg, and Cd accumulation rates. This study shows that wildfires in northern montane catchments can significantly increase the rate of metal accumulation in affected lakes, thereby impeding recovery from reductions in anthropogenic air emissions of these metals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Pelletier
- Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - John Chételat
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, National Wildlife Research Centre, Ottawa, ON K1A 0H3, Canada.
| | - Sarah Sinon
- Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Jesse C Vermaire
- Geography and Environmental Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6, Canada
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Roberts SL, Kirk JL, Muir DCG, Wiklund JA, Evans MS, Gleason A, Tam A, Drevnick PE, Dastoor A, Ryjkov A, Yang F, Wang X, Lawson G, Pilote M, Keating J, Barst BD, Ahad JME, Cooke CA. Quantification of Spatial and Temporal Trends in Atmospheric Mercury Deposition across Canada over the Past 30 Years. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:15766-15775. [PMID: 34792335 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c04034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a pollutant of concern across Canada and transboundary anthropogenic Hg sources presently account for over 95% of national anthropogenic Hg deposition. This study applies novel statistical analyses of 82 high-resolution dated lake sediment cores collected from 19 regions across Canada, including nearby point sources and in remote regions and spanning a full west-east geographical range of ∼4900 km (south of 60°N and between 132 and 64°W) to quantify the recent (1990-2018) spatial and temporal trends in anthropogenic atmospheric Hg deposition. Temporal trend analysis shows significant synchronous decreasing trends in post-1990 anthropogenic Hg fluxes in western Canada in contrast to increasing trends in the east, with spatial patterns largely driven by longitude and proximity to known point source(s). Recent sediment-derived Hg fluxes agreed well with the available wet deposition monitoring. Sediment-derived atmospheric Hg deposition rates also compared well to the modeled values derived from the Hg model, when lake sites located nearby (<100 km) point sources were omitted due to difficulties in comparison between the sediment-derived and modeled values at deposition "hot spots". This highlights the applicability of multi-core approaches to quantify spatio-temporal changes in Hg deposition over broad geographic ranges and assess the effectiveness of regional and global Hg emission reductions to address global Hg pollution concerns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Roberts
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Jane L Kirk
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Johan A Wiklund
- Biology Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Marlene S Evans
- Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - Amber Gleason
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Allison Tam
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Paul E Drevnick
- Alberta Environment and Parks, 3535 Research Road NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2K8, Canada
- National Institute of Scientific Research, Centre Eau Terre Environment, 490 rue de la Couronne, Québec, Québec G1K 9A9, Canada
| | - Ashu Dastoor
- Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Québec H9P 1J3, Canada
| | - Andrei Ryjkov
- Air Quality Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Québec H9P 1J3, Canada
| | - Fan Yang
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Xiaowa Wang
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Greg Lawson
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Martin Pilote
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montréal, Québec H2Y 2E7, Canada
| | - Jonathan Keating
- Watershed Hydrology and Ecology Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - Benjamin D Barst
- National Institute of Scientific Research, Centre Eau Terre Environment, 490 rue de la Couronne, Québec, Québec G1K 9A9, Canada
- Water and Environment Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, Alaska 99775, United States
| | - Jason M E Ahad
- Geological Survey of Canada─Québec Division, Québec G1K 9A9, Canada
| | - Colin A Cooke
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada
- Alberta Environment and Parks, 9888 Jasper Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 5C6, Canada
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9
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Li T, Zhong W, Wei Z, Shang S, Ye S, Chen Y, Pan J, Wang X. Response of mercury accumulation to anthropogenic pollution in the past 1000 years based on Lake Huguangyan sediments, Southern China. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2021; 43:3921-3933. [PMID: 33761035 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-021-00878-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
A new 210Pb-dated record of Hg accumulation derived from a sediment core from a Hg-enriched area in Huguangyan Lake (HGY) in South China is presented. Based on synthetic analyses of multi-proxy records including chemical composition, total organic matter, and grain-size distribution in surface sediments and nearby soil samples, it is inferred that the influx of Hg into the lake is mainly a result of atmospheric deposition, with no or minor hydroclimate-induced lithogenic input from the catchment and limited adsorption effects of organic matter and clay. Significantly enhanced anthropogenic input of Hg started in the early 1900s. Since then, several anomalies of Hg accumulation have been the results of wars or intensified economic activities in China. HGY sediments provide a rare and reliable natural archive for detecting atmospheric Hg deposition, which is closely related to anthropogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianhang Li
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Wei Zhong
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China.
| | - Zhiqiang Wei
- Zhuhai Branch of State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Beijing Normal University at Zhuhai, Zhuhai, 519087, China
| | - Shengtan Shang
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Susu Ye
- Guangdong Center for Marine Development Research, Guangzhou, 510220, China
| | - Yuanhan Chen
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Junyu Pan
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
| | - Xiaojun Wang
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, China
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10
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Schneider T, Musa Bandowe BA, Bigalke M, Mestrot A, Hampel H, Mosquera PV, Fränkl L, Wienhues G, Vogel H, Tylmann W, Grosjean M. 250-year records of mercury and trace element deposition in two lakes from Cajas National Park, SW Ecuadorian Andes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:16227-16243. [PMID: 33280061 PMCID: PMC7969545 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-11437-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Historical records of trace elements in lake sediments provide source-to-sink information about potentially toxic pollutants across space and time. We investigated two lakes located at different elevations in the Ecuadorian Andes to understand how trace element fluxes are related to (i) geology, (ii) erosion in the watersheds, and (iii) local point sources and atmospheric loads. In remote Lake Fondococha (4150 m a.s.l.), total Hg fluxes stay constant between ca. 1760 and 1950 and show an approximately 4.4-fold increase between pre-1950 and post-1950 values. The post-1950 increase in fluxes of other trace elements (V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) is lower (2.1-3.0-fold) than for Hg. Mostly lithogenic sources and enhanced soil erosion contribute to their post-1950 increase (lithogenic contribution: > 85%, Hg: ~ 58%). Average post-1950 Hg fluxes are approximately 4.3 times higher in peri-urban Lake Llaviucu (3150 m a.s.l.) than in the remote Lake Fondococha. Post-1950 fluxes of the other trace elements showed larger differences between Lakes Fondococha and Llaviucu (5.2 < 25-29.5-fold increase; Ni < Pb-Cd). The comparison of the post-1950 average trace element fluxes that are derived from point and airborne sources revealed 5-687 (Hg-Pb) times higher values in Lake Llaviucu than in Lake Fondococha suggesting that Lake Llaviucu's proximity to the city of Cuenca strongly influences its deposition record (industrial emissions, traffic, caged fishery). Both lakes responded with temporary drops in trace element accumulations to park regulations in the 1970s and 1990s, but show again increasing trends in recent times, most likely caused by increase in vehicular traffic and openings of copper and gold mines around Cajas National Park.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Schneider
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
- Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003-9297, USA.
| | - Benjamin A Musa Bandowe
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Moritz Bigalke
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Adrien Mestrot
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Henrietta Hampel
- Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
- Laboratorio de Ecología Acuática, Departamento de Recursos Hídricos y Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Pablo V Mosquera
- Subgerencia de Gestión Ambiental, Empresa Pública Municipal de Telecomunicaciones, Agua potable, Alcantarillado y Saneamiento (ETAPA EP), Cuenca, Ecuador
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lea Fränkl
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Giulia Wienhues
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hendrik Vogel
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geological Sciences, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 1+3, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Wojciech Tylmann
- Faculty of Oceanography and Geography, University of Gdansk, Bazynskiego 4, 80309, Gdansk, Poland
| | - Martin Grosjean
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Hochschulstrasse 4, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
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11
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Nováková T, Navrátil T, Demers JD, Roll M, Rohovec J. Contrasting tree ring Hg records in two conifer species: Multi-site evidence of species-specific radial translocation effects in Scots pine versus European larch. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 762:144022. [PMID: 33360336 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Tree ring records are increasingly being used as a geochemical archive of past atmospheric mercury (Hg) pollution. However, it is not clear whether all tree species can be used reliably for this purpose. We compared tree-ring Hg records of two coniferous species - widely used Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and less frequently used European larch (Larix decidua) at 6 study sites across the Czech Republic. Site-specific mean Hg concentrations in tree-ring segments of larch ranged from 2.1 to 5.2 μg kg-1, whereas pine had higher mean Hg concentrations (3.6-8.3 μg kg-1). Temporal records of Hg concentrations in tree rings of larch and pine differed significantly. Comparisons with previously documented peat Hg records showed that larch tree-ring Hg records more closely agreed with peat archive records. For pines, which had a large, tree-age dependent number of sapwood rings (62 ± 17, 1SD), we found a strong relationship between the year of peak Hg and the number of sapwood tree rings (p = 0.012, r2 = 0.35), as well as between peak Hg year and the sapwood-heartwood boundary year (p < 0.001, r2 = 0.65), rather than with temporal changes in atmospheric Hg levels. The much greater number of pine sapwood tree rings appears to promote radial Hg translocation, resulting in the shift of Hg peaks backward in time through the tree-ring record. In contrast, Larch consistently had a low number of sapwood tree rings (19 ± 6, 1SD), and more closely agreed with peat Hg records. This study suggests that European larch, a tree species characterized by a relatively low and consistent number of sapwood tree rings, records changes in atmospheric Hg concentrations more reliably than does Scots pine, a species with a relatively high and variable number of sapwood tree rings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tereza Nováková
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | - Tomáš Navrátil
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jason D Demers
- University of Michigan, 1100 North University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, United States of America
| | - Michal Roll
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Rohovec
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic
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12
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Wiklund JA, Kirk JL, Muir DCG, Gleason A, Carrier J, Yang F. Atmospheric trace metal deposition to remote Northwest Ontario, Canada: Anthropogenic fluxes and inventories from 1860 to 2010. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 749:142276. [PMID: 33370897 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
National and global inventories of anthropogenic trace element emissions to air is a comparatively recent phenomenon (post-1993 in Canada) as is the monitoring of atmospheric metal deposition, the latter being also very spatially limited. Paleo-reconstructive methods offer a contiguous record of environmental contamination providing a needed framework to establish locally relevant "pre-industrial" (~natural) conditions which can be compare with relative and quantitative deviations away from reference conditions. In this study, we reconstruct the history of the long-range, anthropogenic sourced atmospheric trace element deposition to the remote region of Northwestern Ontario Canada (Experimental Lakes Area (ELA)) using dated sediment records from five lakes. Several elements are shown to be highly enriched in lake sediments relative to pre-1860 sediments (Antimony, Lead, Tellurium, Tin, Arsenic, Bismuth, Cadmium and Mercury) and moderately (Zinc, Tungsten, Thallium, Copper, Silver, Selenium, Nickel and Vanadium). Mean decadal anthropogenic atmospheric fluxes (mg m-2 yr-1) are reconstructed for 1860-2010 and compare well with available local (ELA), regional (NW Ontario Canada, N Michigan USA) monitoring data, as well as global assessments of anthropogenic contribution to atmospheric trace metal burdens. Quantitative paleo reconstructions of atmospheric contamination history using the collective signal from multiple lakes provide a rigorous methodology to assess trends, uncertainties, evaluation with monitoring data and, provide an opportunity to explore landscape processes of contaminant transport and storage. Further study of the latter is recommended to understand the latency of legacy anthropogenic contamination of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan A Wiklund
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada, L7R 4A6.
| | - Jane L Kirk
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada, L7R 4A6.
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada, L7R 4A6
| | - Amber Gleason
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada, L7R 4A6
| | - Jacques Carrier
- National Laboratory of Environmental Testing, Environment Canada, Burlington, Ontario, Canada L7R 4A6
| | - Fan Yang
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada, L7R 4A6
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13
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Dunnington DW, Roberts S, Norton SA, Spooner IS, Kurek J, Kirk JL, Muir DCG, White CE, Gagnon GA. The distribution and transport of lead over two centuries as recorded by lake sediments from northeastern North America. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 737:140212. [PMID: 32783842 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Revised: 06/10/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We evaluated anthropogenic Pb deposition along a west-east transect from the Adirondack Mountains, New York, USA (ADIR) region, the Vermont-New Hampshire-Maine, USA (VT-NH-ME) region, and Nova Scotia, Canada (NS) region using 47 210Pb-dated lake sediment records. We used focus-corrected Pb inventories to evaluate cumulative deposition and breakpoint analysis to evaluate possible differences in timings among regions. Peak Pb concentrations decreased from west to east (ADIR region: 52-378 mg kg-1, VT-NH-ME region: 54-253 mg kg-1, NS: 38-140 mg kg-1). Cumulative deposition of anthropogenic Pb also decreased from west to east (ADIR region: 791-1344 mg m-2, VT-NH-ME region: 209-1206 mg m-2, NS: 52-421 mg m-2). The initiation of anthropogenic Pb deposition occurred progressively later along the same transect (ADIR region: 1869-1900, VT-NH-ME region: 1874-1905, NS region: 1901-1930). Previous lead isotope studies suggest that eastern Canadian Pb deposition over the past ~150 years has originated from a mix of both Canadian and U.S. sources. The results of this study indicate that anthropogenic Pb from sources west of the ADIR region were deposited in lesser amounts from west to east and/or Pb sources reflect less population density from west to east. The timing of the initiation of anthropogenic Pb deposition in the NS region suggests that Pb from gasoline may be an important source in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dewey W Dunnington
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington St., Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
| | - Sarah Roberts
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Stephen A Norton
- School of Earth and Climate Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469-5790, USA
| | - Ian S Spooner
- Department of Earth & Environmental Science, Acadia University, 12 University Ave., Wolfville, NS B4P 2R6, Canada
| | - Joshua Kurek
- Department of Geography and Environment, Mount Allison University, Sackville, NB E4L 1A7, Canada
| | - Jane L Kirk
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Chris E White
- Nova Scotia Department of Energy and Mines, P.O. Box 698, Halifax, NS B3J 2T9, Canada
| | - Graham A Gagnon
- Centre for Water Resources Studies, Department of Civil & Resource Engineering, Dalhousie University, 1360 Barrington St., Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
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14
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Roberts S, Kirk JL, Wiklund JA, Muir DCG, Keating J, Yang F, Gleason A, Lawson G, Wang X, Evans M. Sources of atmospheric metal(loid) pollution recorded in Thompson Manitoba lake sediment cores within the Canadian boreal biome. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 732:139043. [PMID: 32417552 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Global atmospheric emissions and subsequent deposition of numerous metal(loid)s has increased markedly since the industrial revolution. Due to a paucity of long-term metal(loid) flux measurements, the magnitude and timing of change are largely unknown, resulting in limited ability to predict time-scales of ecosystem recovery in response to emission decreases. In the absence of long-term data, palaeo-reconstructions provide continuous records of atmospheric metal(loid) deposition on an ecosystem, and landscape, scale. Here, we use high-resolution dated lake sediment cores to reconstruct the last c. 100 years of atmospheric anthropogenic deposition of a full suite (40) of metal(loid)s near a large nickel (Ni) and copper (Cu) smelter in an other-wise largely "pristine" region of northern Canada (Thompson, Manitoba). Anthropogenic depositional fluxes were compared to other regions of Canada including Kejimkujik National Park in Nova Scotia, Experimental Lakes Area in Ontario, as well as the Flin Flon, Manitoba Cu and zinc (Zn) smelter, located ~200 km southwest of Thompson. Deposition of 12 metal(loid)s were enriched above baseline (pre-1915) levels: antimony (Sb) > palladium (Pd) > bismuth (Bi) > mercury (Hg) > cadmium (Cd) > Ni > lead (Pb) > arsenic (As) > strontium (Sr) > Cu > platinum (Pt) > Zn. Spatio-temporal patterns in depositional fluxes and inventories demonstrate that 6 of these metal(loid)s were sourced primarily from the smelter, while As, Hg, Pb, Pt, Sb and Zn were sourced primarily from global and/or regional sources. Comparison of anthropogenic fluxes and inventories to available emissions data showed that Cu and Ni deposition has plateaued since the late 1970s despite dramatic smelter emission decreases between 2005 and 2014. We hypothesize that this discrepancy is due to releases of terrestrial metal(loid)s by climate-driven permafrost degradation, which is widespread across the region and will likely continue to drive increased metal(loid) fluxes to northern Canadian lakes for unknown time-scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Roberts
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada.
| | - Jane L Kirk
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada.
| | - Johan A Wiklund
- Biology Department, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Jonathan Keating
- Watershed Hydrology Ecology Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 3H5, Canada
| | - Fan Yang
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Amber Gleason
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Greg Lawson
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Xiaowa Wang
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Marlene Evans
- Watershed Hydrology Ecology Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 3H5, Canada
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Zhu T, Wang X, Lin H, Ren J, Wang C, Gong P. Accumulation of Pollutants in Proglacial Lake Sediments: Impacts of Glacial Meltwater and Anthropogenic Activities. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2020; 54:7901-7910. [PMID: 32496767 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.0c01849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
With global warming, the melting of glaciers can result in the release of pollutants into the environment. For remote Alpine lakes, both atmosphere-deposited anthropogenic pollutants and glacier-released pollutants can eventually sink in the sediment. To date, there has, to the best of our knowledge, been no attempt at quantifying the contributions of these processes to the accumulation of pollutants in glacial lake sediment. To fill this gap, a semi-enclosed proglacial lake located in the southern Tibetan Plateau was chosen and a 28 cm sediment core, which can be dated back to 1836, was used to explore the temporal trends of trace elements, Hg, and black carbon (BC) during the past two centuries. Geochemical indicators (Rb/Sr, Ti-Zr-Hf, and sedimentary rate) in sediment showed an overall continuous warming of the lake, while the temporal trends of fluxes of toxic elements and BC were broadly associated with their emission patterns. By using a positive matrix factorization model, the contribution of the anthropogenic source rose from <10% in the 1850s to >40% after the 1980s. However, the signal of glacial meltwater release was also distinct, and the greatest contribution of ice-snow meltwater reached up to 61% in the 1950s. Regarding the most recent two decades, 90% of pollutant deposition in the Tibetan sediment can be attributed to the combined forces of primary emissions and glacial release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Hai Lin
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Jiao Ren
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Research Institute of Transition of Resource-Based Economics, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan 030006, Shanxi, China
| | - Chuanfei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ping Gong
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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16
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Pan J, Zhong W, Wei Z, Ouyang J, Shang S, Ye S, Chen Y, Xue J, Tang X. A 15,400-year record of natural and anthropogenic input of mercury (Hg) in a sub-alpine lacustrine sediment succession from the western Nanling Mountains, South China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:20478-20489. [PMID: 32246428 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-08421-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
A 15400-year mercury (Hg) accumulation history was reconstructed from a lake sediment core collected from Daping Swamp in western Nanling Mountains, South China. Our results show that the natural input of Hg was deeply influenced by varying climatic conditions. Under wet and warm conditions, increased surface soil organic matter induced by improved vegetation conditions favor an increased input of surface soil-bound Hg to the lake, thus leading to higher Hg accumulation rate, and on the other hand, the direct atmospheric wet deposition of Hg into the lake would also be enhanced. In contrast, under relatively cold and dry conditions, it would display an inverse picture. The signal of anthropogenic influence possibly derived from regional Hg pollution likely started at ~ 3400 cal. years BP, roughly corresponding to the early stage of the Shang Dynasty in Chinese history. Four periods of increased anthropogenic Hg inputs appeared in ~ 3358-2170, ~ 2170-1730, ~ 1369-1043, and especially ~ 600-250 cal. years BP, corresponded to the Shang and Zhou, the Qin and Han, the Sui and Tang, and the Ming and Qing dynasties in China, respectively. A clearly weakened anthropogenic input occurred between~1750 and 1400 cal. years BP, coinciding with the Three Kingdoms to the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Our results revealed the history of the natural Hg accumulation since the Last Deglacial period, and the existence of regional atmospheric Hg induced from anthropogenic activity spanning the last ~ 3400 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junyu Pan
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, Guangdong, China
| | - Wei Zhong
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, Guangdong, China.
| | - Zhiqiang Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Zhuhai, 519087, China
| | - Jun Ouyang
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, Guangdong, China
| | - Shengtan Shang
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, Guangdong, China
| | - Susu Ye
- Guangdong center for Marine development research, Guangzhou, 510220, China
| | - Yuanhan Chen
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, Guangdong, China
| | - Jibin Xue
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaowen Tang
- School of Geography Sciences, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, 510631, Guangdong, China
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17
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Cooke CA, Martínez-Cortizas A, Bindler R, Sexauer Gustin M. Environmental archives of atmospheric Hg deposition - A review. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 709:134800. [PMID: 31887515 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Environmental archives offer an opportunity to reconstruct temporal trends in atmospheric Hg deposition at various timescales. Lake sediment and peat have been the most widely used archives; however, new records from ice, tree rings, and the measurement of Hg stable isotopes, are offering new insights into past Hg cycling. Preindustrial Hg deposition has been studied over decadal to millennial timescales extending as far back as the late Pleistocene. Exploitation of mercury deposits (mainly cinnabar) first began during the mid to late Holocene in South America, Europe, and Asia, but increased dramatically during the Colonial era (1532-1900) for silver production. However, evidence for preindustrial Hg pollution is restricted to regions directly downwind or downstream of cinnabar or precious metal mining centers. Excluding these areas, there has been an approximately four-fold increase in atmospheric deposition globally over the industrial era (i.e., since 1800-1850), though regional differences exist, especially during the early 20th Century. Lake sediments, peat, ice, and tree rings are all influenced by (and integrate) a range of processes. For example, lake sediments are influenced by atmospheric deposition, sediment focusing, and the input of allochthonous material from the watershed, peat records reflect atmospheric deposition and biotic uptake, ice cores are a record of Hg scrubbed during precipitation, and tree rings record atmospheric concentrations. No archive represents an absolute record of past Hg deposition or concentrations, and post-depositional transformation of Hg profiles remains an important topic of research. However, natural archives continue to provide important insight into atmospheric Hg cycling over various timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin A Cooke
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada; Environmental Monitoring and Science Division, Alberta Environment and Parks, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 5C6 Canada.
| | - Antonio Martínez-Cortizas
- EcoPast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Richard Bindler
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mae Sexauer Gustin
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada-Reno Reno, Nevada 89557, United States
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18
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Putyrskaya V, Klemt E, Röllin S, Corcho-Alvarado JA, Sahli H. Dating of recent sediments from Lago Maggiore and Lago di Lugano (Switzerland/Italy) using 137Cs and 210Pb. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2020; 212:106135. [PMID: 31885363 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2019.106135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents the results of 137Cs and 210Pb dating of sediments from the northern and western basins of Lago Maggiore and the southern basin of Lago di Lugano. Vertical distributions of 137Cs in sediment cores taken in 2017/18 were compared to those of the sediment cores taken almost two decades ago at the same positions. This comparison showed that 137Cs peaks do not alter their shape significantly over time and 137Cs remains a reliable time-marker for many decades. 210Pb dating using for the first time the piecewise "constant rate supply" (CRSPW) model constrained with 137Cs time-markers is performed for sediment cores of Lago Maggiore and Lago di Lugano. "Event-linked" mass accumulation rates (MARs) were derived from the CRSPW model. In combination with the dry bulk density, organic matter content, 40K and 210Pb activity concentrations, these "event-linked" MARs were used for the identification of one or more event layers (turbidites, detrital layers) in 1-cm thick sediment samples. "Continuous" mean MARs which are independent of the event layers were estimated: in Lago Maggiore sediment cores they are 0.066-0.090 g cm-2 yr-1; in Lago di Lugano they vary in the range of 0.032-0.057 g cm-2 yr-1 with higher values in the time interval 1963-1986 as compared to 1986-present.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Putyrskaya
- Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten, University of Applied Sciences, Doggenriedstr., D-88250, Weingarten, Germany.
| | - E Klemt
- Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten, University of Applied Sciences, Doggenriedstr., D-88250, Weingarten, Germany
| | - S Röllin
- Federal Office for Civil Protection, Spiez Laboratory, CH-3700, Switzerland
| | | | - H Sahli
- Federal Office for Civil Protection, Spiez Laboratory, CH-3700, Switzerland
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Wang L, Chen G, Liu Y, Li R, Kong L, Huang L, Wang J, Kimpe LE, Blais JM. Environmental legacy and catchment erosion modulate sediment records of trace metals in alpine lakes of southwest China. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 254:113090. [PMID: 31465900 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Sediment records are widely used to infer impact of atmospheric metal deposition in alpine lakes, however, the legacy effect and catchment erosion of historical pollutants could potentially affect metal influx into lakes. Here, we collect data (including six trace metals and three lithogenic elements) from well-dated sediment cores of seven alpine lakes in southeast Tibet, which is adjacent to southwest China. This area has a documented history of preindustrial pollution. Metals such as cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn) and arsenic (As) are found at relatively low concentrations until a clear increase is observed after 1950s across lakes. This result is consistent with accelerating atmospheric metal deposition due to socio-economic development in the region. We observe no synchronous trend across lakes in the changes of lead (Pb), copper (Cu) and silver (Ag), which show no significant increase after ∼1950 over the last two centuries in most of the study lakes. The historical trends of 206Pb/207Pb ratio reflect an important source of anthropogenic Pb associated with preindustrial mining and smelting in this study region, suggesting a substantial impact of legacy contamination from ancient mines. Furthermore, the temporal variations in these six anthropogenic metals are largely accounted for by terrigenous elements (e.g. aluminum (Al) and titanium (Ti)) in most of the study lakes, and to a lesser degree by sediment grain sizes and organic matter content, suggesting a significant role of catchment erosion in modulating sediment metal signals. In all, this study highlights the legacy effect of historical pollutants may have enhanced the forcing of catchment erosion in modulating the sediment signals of anthropogenic deposition in southeast Tibet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Processes and Environmental Changes, School of Tourism and Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Guangjie Chen
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Processes and Environmental Changes, School of Tourism and Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China.
| | - Yuanyuan Liu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Processes and Environmental Changes, School of Tourism and Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Rui Li
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Processes and Environmental Changes, School of Tourism and Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Lingyang Kong
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Processes and Environmental Changes, School of Tourism and Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Linpei Huang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Processes and Environmental Changes, School of Tourism and Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Jiaoyuan Wang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plateau Geographical Processes and Environmental Changes, School of Tourism and Geography, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan 650500, China
| | - Linda E Kimpe
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N6N5 Ontario, Canada
| | - Jules M Blais
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, K1N6N5 Ontario, Canada
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20
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Roberts S, Kirk JL, Wiklund JA, Muir DCG, Yang F, Gleason A, Lawson G. Mercury and metal(loid) deposition to remote Nova Scotia lakes from both local and distant sources. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 675:192-202. [PMID: 31030127 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Kejimkujik National Park, in Nova Scotia, Canada, is a sensitive region for metal(loid) contamination, such as mercury, in part due to long-range atmospheric deposition from global and regional industrial centers. The region is remote from industrial centres, but is downwind of major pollution sources in the Eastern United States and Canada, and historically had numerous gold mining sites. Due to a paucity of long-term atmospheric deposition monitoring in this region, little is known about the response of Kejimkujik lakes to multiple changing global, regional and local atmospheric Hg and metal(loid) sources. Here, we used multiple lake sediment cores to reconstruct anthropogenic depositional fluxes of metal(loid)s of concern for the last ~210years. Results showed that Kejimkujik lake sediments are highly enriched in lead (Pb), antimony (Sb) and tin (Sn), with post-industrial metal(loid) concentrations being >4-fold greater than natural baseline levels (prior to ~1800) and moderately enriched in silver (Ag), bismuth (Bi), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), rubidium (Rb), tellurium (Te), thallium (Tl), vanadium (V), tungsten (W) and zinc (Zn), with post-industrial metal(loid) concentrations being between 1.5 and 4-fold greater than natural baseline levels (prior to ~1800). Lake sediment core reconstructions of total atmospheric Hg deposition matched well with Hg wet deposition monitoring data from the overlapped period (1997-2010) being 9.1±2.7μg/m2/yr and 7.0±0.7μg/m2/yr respectively. Lakes closest to historic gold mining sites show spikes in Ag, Cd, Sb, Tl, Zn and W during mining periods (~1880 and 1950). Most of the enriched metal(loid)s (EF >1.5) (Ag, Bi, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sb, Sn, V and W) do not appear affected by redox and remobilisation issues. For the other enriched metal(loid)s (EF >1.5) (Cd, Tl, and Zn), remobilisation from upper sediments appears to be occurring within these acidic and DOC rich Kejimkujik lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Roberts
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada.
| | - J L Kirk
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada.
| | - J A Wiklund
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - D C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - F Yang
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - A Gleason
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - G Lawson
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Burlington, Ontario L7R 4A6, Canada
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21
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Navrátil T, Nováková T, Shanley JB, Rohovec J, Matoušková Š, Vaňková M, Norton SA. Larch Tree Rings as a Tool for Reconstructing 20th Century Central European Atmospheric Mercury Trends. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2018; 52:11060-11068. [PMID: 30192133 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b02117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
We propose the tree rings of European Larch ( Larix decidua) as a widely available and reliable geochemical archive of local and regional changes in atmospheric mercury (Hg). Mean Hg concentrations in larch tree rings from 8 background sites across the Czech Republic ranged from 2.2 to 4.8 μg kg-1; the maximum concentrations occurred in the period 1951-1970. At 3 sites impacted by Hg-emission sources [gold amalgamation processing, caustic soda production, and lead (Pb) ore smelting] mean larch tree ring Hg concentrations were significantly elevated relative to background sites. Changes in larch tree ring Hg concentrations were temporally coherent with known activities at the sites that would alter Hg emissions; the nearly simultaneous response in tree rings indicated little or no translocation of Hg within the larch bole. Based on the present-day atmospheric Hg concentration of 1.63 ng m-3 at the intensively monitored Czech Global Mercury Observation System site and the most recent mean tree ring Hg concentration of 2.8 μg kg-1 in co-located larch trees, we developed a simple distribution model of Hg between the atmosphere and larch tree rings. We applied the model using observed changes of Hg in larch tree rings from the countrywide background sites to reconstruct past atmospheric Hg concentrations in central Europe. Modeled Hg concentrations were in agreement with annual means from the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme observatories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomáš Navrátil
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Science , Rozvojova 269 , 165 00 Prague , Czech Republic
| | - Tereza Nováková
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Science , Rozvojova 269 , 165 00 Prague , Czech Republic
| | - James B Shanley
- United States Geological Survey , PO Box 628, Montpelier , Vermont 05601 , United States
| | - Jan Rohovec
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Science , Rozvojova 269 , 165 00 Prague , Czech Republic
| | - Šárka Matoušková
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Science , Rozvojova 269 , 165 00 Prague , Czech Republic
| | - Maria Vaňková
- Institute of Geology of the Czech Academy of Science , Rozvojova 269 , 165 00 Prague , Czech Republic
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22
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Lehnherr I, St Louis VL, Sharp M, Gardner AS, Smol JP, Schiff SL, Muir DCG, Mortimer CA, Michelutti N, Tarnocai C, St Pierre KA, Emmerton CA, Wiklund JA, Köck G, Lamoureux SF, Talbot CH. The world's largest High Arctic lake responds rapidly to climate warming. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1290. [PMID: 29599477 PMCID: PMC5876346 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03685-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Using a whole-watershed approach and a combination of historical, contemporary, modeled and paleolimnological datasets, we show that the High Arctic’s largest lake by volume (Lake Hazen) has succumbed to climate warming with only a ~1 °C relative increase in summer air temperatures. This warming deepened the soil active layer and triggered large mass losses from the watershed’s glaciers, resulting in a ~10 times increase in delivery of glacial meltwaters, sediment, organic carbon and legacy contaminants to Lake Hazen, a >70% decrease in lake water residence time, and near certainty of summer ice-free conditions. Concomitantly, the community assemblage of diatom primary producers in the lake shifted dramatically with declining ice cover, from shoreline benthic to open-water planktonic species, and the physiological condition of the only fish species in the lake, Arctic Char, declined significantly. Collectively, these changes place Lake Hazen in a biogeochemical, limnological and ecological regime unprecedented within the past ~300 years. Arctic ecosystems are at threat due to the rapid nature of climate change and Arctic amplification. Here, the authors show that the watershed of Lake Hazen, the Arctic’s largest lake by volume, has undergone dramatic changes in response to as little as a ~1°C increase in summer air temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Lehnherr
- Department of Geography, University of Toronto-Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
| | - Vincent L St Louis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Martin Sharp
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Alex S Gardner
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
| | - John P Smol
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Sherry L Schiff
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Colleen A Mortimer
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Neil Michelutti
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Lab, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Charles Tarnocai
- Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 1341 Baseline Road, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0C5, Canada
| | - Kyra A St Pierre
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Craig A Emmerton
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - Johan A Wiklund
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
| | - Günter Köck
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Studies (ÖAW-IGF), A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Scott F Lamoureux
- Department of Geography and Planning, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Charles H Talbot
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON, L7S 1A1, Canada
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23
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Obrist D, Kirk JL, Zhang L, Sunderland EM, Jiskra M, Selin NE. A review of global environmental mercury processes in response to human and natural perturbations: Changes of emissions, climate, and land use. AMBIO 2018; 47:116-140. [PMID: 29388126 PMCID: PMC5794683 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-017-1004-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 350] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
We review recent progress in our understanding of the global cycling of mercury (Hg), including best estimates of Hg concentrations and pool sizes in major environmental compartments and exchange processes within and between these reservoirs. Recent advances include the availability of new global datasets covering areas of the world where environmental Hg data were previously lacking; integration of these data into global and regional models is continually improving estimates of global Hg cycling. New analytical techniques, such as Hg stable isotope characterization, provide novel constraints of sources and transformation processes. The major global Hg reservoirs that are, and continue to be, affected by anthropogenic activities include the atmosphere (4.4-5.3 Gt), terrestrial environments (particularly soils: 250-1000 Gg), and aquatic ecosystems (e.g., oceans: 270-450 Gg). Declines in anthropogenic Hg emissions between 1990 and 2010 have led to declines in atmospheric Hg0 concentrations and HgII wet deposition in Europe and the US (- 1.5 to - 2.2% per year). Smaller atmospheric Hg0 declines (- 0.2% per year) have been reported in high northern latitudes, but not in the southern hemisphere, while increasing atmospheric Hg loads are still reported in East Asia. New observations and updated models now suggest high concentrations of oxidized HgII in the tropical and subtropical free troposphere where deep convection can scavenge these HgII reservoirs. As a result, up to 50% of total global wet HgII deposition has been predicted to occur to tropical oceans. Ocean Hg0 evasion is a large source of present-day atmospheric Hg (approximately 2900 Mg/year; range 1900-4200 Mg/year). Enhanced seawater Hg0 levels suggest enhanced Hg0 ocean evasion in the intertropical convergence zone, which may be linked to high HgII deposition. Estimates of gaseous Hg0 emissions to the atmosphere over land, long considered a critical Hg source, have been revised downward, and most terrestrial environments now are considered net sinks of atmospheric Hg due to substantial Hg uptake by plants. Litterfall deposition by plants is now estimated at 1020-1230 Mg/year globally. Stable isotope analysis and direct flux measurements provide evidence that in many ecosystems Hg0 deposition via plant inputs dominates, accounting for 57-94% of Hg in soils. Of global aquatic Hg releases, around 50% are estimated to occur in China and India, where Hg drains into the West Pacific and North Indian Oceans. A first inventory of global freshwater Hg suggests that inland freshwater Hg releases may be dominated by artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM; approximately 880 Mg/year), industrial and wastewater releases (220 Mg/year), and terrestrial mobilization (170-300 Mg/year). For pelagic ocean regions, the dominant source of Hg is atmospheric deposition; an exception is the Arctic Ocean, where riverine and coastal erosion is likely the dominant source. Ocean water Hg concentrations in the North Atlantic appear to have declined during the last several decades but have increased since the mid-1980s in the Pacific due to enhanced atmospheric deposition from the Asian continent. Finally, we provide examples of ongoing and anticipated changes in Hg cycling due to emission, climate, and land use changes. It is anticipated that future emissions changes will be strongly dependent on ASGM, as well as energy use scenarios and technology requirements implemented under the Minamata Convention. We predict that land use and climate change impacts on Hg cycling will be large and inherently linked to changes in ecosystem function and global atmospheric and ocean circulations. Our ability to predict multiple and simultaneous changes in future Hg global cycling and human exposure is rapidly developing but requires further enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Obrist
- Department of Environmental, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Lowell, One University Ave, Lowell, MA 01854 USA
| | - Jane L. Kirk
- Environment and Climate Change, Canada, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7P 2X3 Canada
| | - Lei Zhang
- School of the Environment, Nanjing University, 163 Xianlin Avenue, Nanjing, 210023 Jiangsu China
| | - Elsie M. Sunderland
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA
| | - Martin Jiskra
- Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, GET-CNRS, CNRS – OMP, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France
| | - Noelle E. Selin
- Institute for Data, Systems, and Society and Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
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24
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Álvarez D, Torrejón F, Climent MJ, Garcia-Orellana J, Araneda A, Urrutia R. Historical anthropogenic mercury in two lakes of Central Chile: comparison between an urban and rural lake. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2018; 25:4596-4606. [PMID: 29192400 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0622-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/26/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Mercury concentrations in the environment tend to decrease in recent years due to environmental restrictions. Lakes store mercury in their sediments, making them potential secondary contamination sources. In South America, the occurrence of mercury in lake systems has been associated mainly with volcanic emissions and only few records anthropogenic contamination in the pre-Hispanic period. The objective of this research was to study historical anthropogenic mercury concentration in two lakes in Central Chile (La Señoraza and Pillo), in order to establish background mercury levels and their variations from preindustrial to modern periods. Different background levels and mercury concentrations were found in each lake, with significantly higher concentrations in Lake La Señoraza during the last 150 years. Mining-related activities during the nineteenth century could have a negligible influence on mercury concentrations. Later on, the use of coal railroads and subsequent employment of mercury in the cellulose industry were associated with three- and fourfold increases in mercury concentration over the nineteenth century background levels, which decrease once these activities ceased. However, in the case of Lake Pillo, an important increase in mercury concentration can be observed between 1990 and the early twenty-first century, which could be related to a higher watershed/lake area ratio, extensive agriculture, and volcanic emission, being the latter that could have contributed with mercury to both systems. Nevertheless, sedimentological characteristics in Lake Pillo can be favorable to retain mercury in this aquatic system up to the present day.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denisse Álvarez
- Aquatic Systems Research Unit, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, EULA-Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción, Chile.
- Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Santo Tomás, Concepción, Chile.
| | - Fernando Torrejón
- Aquatic Systems Research Unit, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, EULA-Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción, Chile
| | - María José Climent
- Aquatic Systems Research Unit, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, EULA-Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción, Chile
| | - Jordi Garcia-Orellana
- Departament de Física, Facultat de Ciències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Ciència i Tecnologia Ambientals (ICTA), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Alberto Araneda
- Aquatic Systems Research Unit, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, EULA-Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción, Chile
| | - Roberto Urrutia
- Aquatic Systems Research Unit, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, EULA-Chile, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Barrio Universitario s/n, Concepción, Chile
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25
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Yang R, Xie T, Yang H, Turner S, Wu G. Historical trends of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) recorded in sediments across the Tibetan Plateau. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2018; 40:303-312. [PMID: 28097496 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-017-9908-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Sediment cores from four lakes across the Tibetan Plateau were used as natural archives to study the time trends of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). The total concentrations of dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (ΣDDT) and hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (ΣHCH) were in the range of 0.04-1.61 and 0.08-1.88 ng/g based on dry weight (dw), while the input fluxes were in the range of 0.3-236 and 0.7-295 pg/cm2/y in the core sediments, respectively. The input fluxes of ΣDDT and ΣHCH generally peaked in sediment layers corresponding to the 1970s-1990s and peaked in top sediment layers. The ratio of α/γ-HCH decreased in the top layer sediments, implying that the contribution of lindane (pure γ-HCH) has been increasing in recent years. In addition, the ratio of o,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDT increased significantly over the last 15-20 years, suggesting that dicofol (characterized by high ratio of o,p'-DDT/p,p'-DDT about 7.0) has recently become a relatively more important source of DDT compared to technical DDT itself. The time trends of OCPs recorded in lake sediments examined the impact on such remote alpine regions by human activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqiang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing, 100085, China.
| | - Ting Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, Beijing, 100085, China
| | - Handong Yang
- Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, Pearson Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Simon Turner
- Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, Pearson Building, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Guangjian Wu
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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26
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Díaz-Asencio M, Corcho-Alvarado JA, Cartas-Aguila H, Pulido-Caraballé A, Betancourt C, Smoak JM, Alvarez-Padilla E, Labaut-Betancourt Y, Alonso-Hernández C, Seisdedo-Losa M. 210Pb and 137Cs as tracers of recent sedimentary processes in two water reservoirs in Cuba. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RADIOACTIVITY 2017; 177:290-304. [PMID: 28800470 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvrad.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2017] [Accepted: 07/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Hanabanilla and Paso Bonito Reservoirs are the main fresh water sources for about half a million inhabitants in central Cuba. Prior to this investigation precise information about the losses of storage capacity was not available. Sedimentation is the dominant process leading to reduction in water storage capacity. We investigated the sedimentation process in both reservoirs by analyzing environmental radionuclides (e.g. 210Pb, 226Ra and 137Cs) in sediment cores. In the shallow Paso Bonito Reservoir (mean depth of 6.5 m; water volume of 8 × 106 m3), we estimated a mean mass accumulation rate (MAR) of 0.4 ± 0.1 g cm-2y-1 based on 210Pb chronologies. 137Cs was detected in the sediments, but due to the recent construction of this reservoir (1975), it was not possible to use it to validate the 210Pb chronologies. The estimated MAR in this reservoir is higher than the typical values reported in similar shallow fresh water reservoirs worldwide. Our results highlight a significant loss of water storage capacity during the past 30 years. In the deeper and larger Hanabanilla Reservoir (mean depth of 15.5 m; water volume of 292 × 106 m3), the MAR was investigated in three different sites of the reservoir. The mean MARs based on the 210Pb chronologies varied between 0.15 and 0.24 g cm-2y-1. The MARs calculated based on the 137Cs profiles further validated these values. We show that the sediment accumulation did not change significantly over the last 50 years. A simple empirical mixing and sedimentation model that assumes 137Cs in the water originated from both, direct atmospheric fallout and the catchment area, was applied to interpret the 137Cs depth profiles. The model consistently reproduced the measured 137Cs profiles in the three cores (R2 > 0.9). Mean residence times for 137Cs in the water and in the catchment area of 1 y and 35-50 y, respectively were estimated. The model identified areas where the catchment component was higher, zones with higher erosion in the catchment, and sites where the fallout component was quantitatively recorded in the sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misael Díaz-Asencio
- Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Carretera Castillo de Jagua km 1.5, Ciudad Nuclear, CP59350, Cienfuegos, Cuba; Instituto de Ecología, Pesquería y Oceanografía del Golfo de México (EPOMEX), Universidad Autónoma de Campeche, Mexico.
| | | | - Héctor Cartas-Aguila
- Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Carretera Castillo de Jagua km 1.5, Ciudad Nuclear, CP59350, Cienfuegos, Cuba
| | - Anabell Pulido-Caraballé
- Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Carretera Castillo de Jagua km 1.5, Ciudad Nuclear, CP59350, Cienfuegos, Cuba
| | - Carmen Betancourt
- University of Cienfuegos "Carlos Rafael Rodríguez", Carretera a Rodas km 3, Cienfuegos, Cuba
| | - Joseph M Smoak
- University of South Florida, 140 7th Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701, USA
| | - Elizabeth Alvarez-Padilla
- Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Carretera Castillo de Jagua km 1.5, Ciudad Nuclear, CP59350, Cienfuegos, Cuba
| | - Yeny Labaut-Betancourt
- Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Carretera Castillo de Jagua km 1.5, Ciudad Nuclear, CP59350, Cienfuegos, Cuba
| | - Carlos Alonso-Hernández
- Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Carretera Castillo de Jagua km 1.5, Ciudad Nuclear, CP59350, Cienfuegos, Cuba
| | - Mabel Seisdedo-Losa
- Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos, Carretera Castillo de Jagua km 1.5, Ciudad Nuclear, CP59350, Cienfuegos, Cuba
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27
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Wiklund JA, Kirk JL, Muir DCG, Evans M, Yang F, Keating J, Parsons MT. Anthropogenic mercury deposition in Flin Flon Manitoba and the Experimental Lakes Area Ontario (Canada): A multi-lake sediment core reconstruction. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 586:685-695. [PMID: 28238379 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 02/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
High-resolution records of anthropogenic mercury (Hg) deposition were constructed from 9 lakes located 5-75km from the Flin Flon, Manitoba smelter (formerly one of North America's largest atmospheric Hg point sources) and 5 lakes in Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), Ontario; a region remote from major Hg point sources. Anthropogenic Hg deposition, as both a flux and inventory, was determined after accounting for lake-specific natural Hg background concentrations, changes in sedimentation and sediment focusing. Results show that records of anthropogenic flux and inventory of Hg were remarkably consistent among the ELA lakes, but varied by 2 orders of magnitude among Flin Flon lakes. The relation between Hg inventories (normalized for prevailing wind direction) and distance from the smelter was used to estimate the total Hg fallout within a 50km radius in 5year time-steps, thus providing a quantitative spatial-temporal Hg depositional history for the Flin Flon region. The same relation solved for 8 cardinal directions weighted by the inverse of the previously applied wind direction normalization generates a map of Hg inventory and deposition on the landscape (Supplementary video). This novel application of sediment core data constructs a landscape model and allows for a visualization of contaminant deposition with respect to a point major source in both space and time. The propensity for Hg to undergo long-range, even global transport explains why Hg deposition within 50km of Flin Flon was ~11% of estimated releases. That is until smelter releases were reduced >10-fold (post-2000), after which observed deposition exceeded smelter releases, suggesting landscape re-emission/remobilization of legacy Hg is a major ongoing regional source of Hg.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan A Wiklund
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada.
| | - Jane L Kirk
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada
| | - Marlene Evans
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Fan Yang
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada, Burlington, ON, Canada
| | - Jonathan Keating
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Environment Canada, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
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Yang H, Turner S, Rose NL. Mercury pollution in the lake sediments and catchment soils of anthropogenically-disturbed sites across England. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 219:1092-1101. [PMID: 27639616 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Revised: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 09/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Sediment cores and soil samples were taken from nine lakes and their catchments across England with varying degrees of direct human disturbance. Mercury (Hg) analysis demonstrated a range of impacts, many from local sources, resulting from differing historical and contemporary site usage and management. Lakes located in industrially important areas showed clear evidence for early Hg pollution with concentrations in sediments reaching 400-1600 ng g-1 prior to the mid-19th century. Control of inputs resulting from local management practices and a greater than 90% reduction in UK Hg emissions since 1970 were reflected by reduced Hg pollution in some lakes. However, having been a sink for Hg deposition for centuries, polluted catchment soils are now the major Hg source for most lakes and consequently recovery from reduced Hg deposition is being delayed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Handong Yang
- Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, Pearson Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Simon Turner
- Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, Pearson Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Neil L Rose
- Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, Pearson Building, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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Drevnick PE, Cooke CA, Barraza D, Blais JM, Coale KH, Cumming BF, Curtis CJ, Das B, Donahue WF, Eagles-Smith CA, Engstrom DR, Fitzgerald WF, Furl CV, Gray JE, Hall RI, Jackson TA, Laird KR, Lockhart WL, Macdonald RW, Mast MA, Mathieu C, Muir DCG, Outridge PM, Reinemann SA, Rothenberg SE, Ruiz-Fernández AC, Louis VLS, Sanders RD, Sanei H, Skierszkan EK, Van Metre PC, Veverica TJ, Wiklund JA, Wolfe BB. Spatiotemporal patterns of mercury accumulation in lake sediments of western North America. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 568:1157-1170. [PMID: 27102272 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.03.167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2015] [Revised: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
For the Western North America Mercury Synthesis, we compiled mercury records from 165 dated sediment cores from 138 natural lakes across western North America. Lake sediments are accepted as faithful recorders of historical mercury accumulation rates, and regional and sub-regional temporal and spatial trends were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Mercury accumulation rates in sediments have increased, on average, four times (4×) from 1850 to 2000 and continue to increase by approximately 0.2μg/m(2) per year. Lakes with the greatest increases were influenced by the Flin Flon smelter, followed by lakes directly affected by mining and wastewater discharges. Of lakes not directly affected by point sources, there is a clear separation in mercury accumulation rates between lakes with no/little watershed development and lakes with extensive watershed development for agricultural and/or residential purposes. Lakes in the latter group exhibited a sharp increase in mercury accumulation rates with human settlement, stabilizing after 1950 at five times (5×) 1850 rates. Mercury accumulation rates in lakes with no/little watershed development were controlled primarily by relative watershed size prior to 1850, and since have exhibited modest increases (in absolute terms and compared to that described above) associated with (regional and global) industrialization. A sub-regional analysis highlighted that in the ecoregion Northwestern Forest Mountains, <1% of mercury deposited to watersheds is delivered to lakes. Research is warranted to understand whether mountainous watersheds act as permanent sinks for mercury or if export of "legacy" mercury (deposited in years past) will delay recovery when/if emissions reductions are achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul E Drevnick
- University of Michigan Biological Station, 9133 Biological Rd., Pellston, MI 49769, USA; University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, 440 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
| | - Colin A Cooke
- Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency, 10th Floor, 9888 Jasper Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 5C6, Canada; Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, 1-26 Earth Sciences Building, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E3, Canada
| | - Daniella Barraza
- University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment, 440 Church St., Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jules M Blais
- Program in Chemical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Kenneth H Coale
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
| | - Brian F Cumming
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Biosciences Complex, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Chris J Curtis
- Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Biplob Das
- Saskatchewan Water Security Agency, 420-2365 Albert St., Regina, SK S4P 4K1, Canada
| | - William F Donahue
- Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency, 10th Floor, 9888 Jasper Avenue NW, Edmonton, AB T5J 5C6, Canada
| | - Collin A Eagles-Smith
- U.S. Geological Survey, Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Daniel R Engstrom
- St. Croix Watershed Research Station, Science Museum of Minnesota, Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047, USA
| | | | - Chad V Furl
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Environmental Assessment Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504, USA
| | - John E Gray
- U.S. Geological Survey, MS 973, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225, USA
| | - Roland I Hall
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Togwell A Jackson
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Water Science & Technology Directorate, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Kathleen R Laird
- Paleoecological Environmental Assessment and Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Queen's University, Biosciences Complex, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - W Lyle Lockhart
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 501 University Crescent, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N6, Canada
| | - Robie W Macdonald
- Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Institute of Ocean Sciences, P.O. Box 6000, Sidney, BC V8L 4B2, Canada
| | - M Alisa Mast
- U.S. Geological Survey, Colorado Water Science Center, MS 415, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225, USA
| | - Callie Mathieu
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Environmental Assessment Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504, USA
| | - Derek C G Muir
- Aquatic Contaminants Research Division, Water Science & Technology Directorate, Environment & Climate Change Canada, Canada Centre for Inland Waters, 867 Lakeshore Road, Burlington, ON L7R 4A6, Canada
| | - Peter M Outridge
- Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street, Ottawa, ON K1A 0E8, Canada
| | - Scott A Reinemann
- Department of Geography, The Ohio State University, 1036 Derby Hall, 154 North Oval Mall, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Sarah E Rothenberg
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Ana Carolina Ruiz-Fernández
- Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Calz. Joel Montes Camarena s/n, CP 82040 Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Mexico
| | - Vincent L St Louis
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
| | - Rhea D Sanders
- Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, 8272 Moss Landing Road, Moss Landing, CA 95039, USA
| | - Hamed Sanei
- Geological Survey of Canada, 3303-33rd Street N.W., Calgary, AB T2L 2A7, Canada
| | - Elliott K Skierszkan
- Program in Chemical and Environmental Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
| | | | - Timothy J Veverica
- University of Michigan Biological Station, 9133 Biological Rd., Pellston, MI 49769, USA
| | - Johan A Wiklund
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Brent B Wolfe
- Department of Geography and Environmental Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
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Daga R, Ribeiro Guevara S, Pavlin M, Rizzo A, Lojen S, Vreča P, Horvat M, Arribére M. Historical records of mercury in southern latitudes over 1600 years: Lake Futalaufquen, Northern Patagonia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 553:541-550. [PMID: 26938317 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.02.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2015] [Revised: 02/16/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is released to the environment from natural and anthropogenic sources, and through atmospheric transport is distributed globally. Lake Futalaufquen (42.8°S) is an oligotrophic lake located in Los Alerces National Park (Northern Patagonia), providing a remote and unpolluted study system. A lacustrine sedimentary sequence revealed 1600 years of Hg deposition, identifying natural baselines and marked peaks not correlated with long-range atmospheric transport. Organic matter and catchment erosion were discarded as Hg drivers. Natural background, pre-1300 CE Hg concentrations, ranged between 27 and 47 ng g(-1) (accumulation rates from 8 to 15μg m(-2) y(-1)). From 1300 CE on, the Hg background profile did not follow the generally increasing Hg pattern observed in both Southern and Northern Hemisphere since pre-industrial times. It was not until the last century that a 1.6-fold increase is observed in the Hg accumulation rate, considered among the lowest increments in southern South America. Noteworthy local/regional sources of Hg for this area, along with global transport, are forest fires and volcanic activity. Between approx. 1340 and 1510 CE, sharp increase in Hg concentration and accumulation rate (up to 204 ng g(-1) and 51 μg m(-2) y(-1), respectively) were clearly associated with extended fire episodes. Furthermore, high Hg peaks during the last 300 years were associated with volcanic eruptions in northernmost Patagonia together with fairly irregular fire episodes, caused by anthropogenic burning by settling population in the Andes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romina Daga
- Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica, Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA, Av. Bustillo km 9.5, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina.
| | - Sergio Ribeiro Guevara
- Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica, Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA, Av. Bustillo km 9.5, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Majda Pavlin
- Jožef Stefan Institute, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Andrea Rizzo
- Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica, Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA, Av. Bustillo km 9.5, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - Sonja Lojen
- Jožef Stefan Institute, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Environmental Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, 5000 Nova Gorica, Slovenia
| | - Polona Vreča
- Jožef Stefan Institute, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | | | - María Arribére
- Laboratorio de Análisis por Activación Neutrónica, Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA, Av. Bustillo km 9.5, 8400 Bariloche, Argentina; Instituto Balseiro, UNCu, Argentina
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31
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Tracking Long-range Atmospheric Transport of Contaminants in Arctic Regions Using Lake Sediments. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-9541-8_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
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32
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Zohar I, Bookman R, Levin N, de Stigter H, Teutsch N. Contamination history of lead and other trace metals reconstructed from an urban winter pond in the Eastern Mediterranean coast (Israel). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:13592-13600. [PMID: 25321342 DOI: 10.1021/es500530x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Pollution history of Pb and other trace metals was reconstructed for the first time for the Eastern Mediterranean, from a small urban winter pond (Dora, Netanya), located at the densely populated coastal plain of Israel. An integrated approach including geochemical, sedimentological, and historical analyses was employed to study sediments from the center of the pond. Profiles of metal concentrations (Pb, Zn, V, Ni, Cu, Cr, Co, Cd, and Hg) and Pb isotopic composition denote two main eras of pre- and post-19th century. The deeper sediment is characterized by low concentrations and relatively constant 206Pb/207Pb (around 1.20), similar to natural Pb sources, with slight indications of ancient anthropogenic activity. The upper sediment displays an upward increase in trace metal concentrations, with the highest enrichment factor for Pb (18.4). Lead fluxes and isotopic composition point to national/regional petrol-Pb emissions as the major contributor to Pb contamination, overwhelming other potential local and transboundary sources. Traffic-related metals are correlated with Pb, emphasizing the polluting inputs of traffic. The Hg profile, however, implies global pollution rather than local sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Zohar
- Department of Marine Geosciences, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel.
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33
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Engstrom DR, Fitzgerald WF, Cooke CA, Lamborg CH, Drevnick PE, Swain EB, Balogh SJ, Balcom PH. Atmospheric Hg emissions from preindustrial gold and silver extraction in the Americas: a reevaluation from lake-sediment archives. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2014; 48:6533-43. [PMID: 24819278 DOI: 10.1021/es405558e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Human activities over the last several centuries have transferred vast quantities of mercury (Hg) from deep geologic stores to actively cycling earth-surface reservoirs, increasing atmospheric Hg deposition worldwide. Understanding the magnitude and fate of these releases is critical to predicting how rates of atmospheric Hg deposition will respond to future emission reductions. The most recently compiled global inventories of integrated (all-time) anthropogenic Hg releases are dominated by atmospheric emissions from preindustrial gold/silver mining in the Americas. However, the geophysical evidence for such large early emissions is equivocal, because most reconstructions of past Hg-deposition have been based on lake-sediment records that cover only the industrial period (1850-present). Here we evaluate historical changes in atmospheric Hg deposition over the last millennium from a suite of lake-sediment cores collected from remote regions of the globe. Along with recent measurements of Hg in the deep ocean, these archives indicate that atmospheric Hg emissions from early mining were modest as compared to more recent industrial-era emissions. Although large quantities of Hg were used to extract New World gold and silver beginning in the 16th century, a reevaluation of historical metallurgical methods indicates that most of the Hg employed was not volatilized, but rather was immobilized in mining waste.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Engstrom
- St. Croix Watershed Research Station, Science Museum of Minnesota , Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota 55047, United States
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Metals, Organic Compounds, and Nutrients in Long Island Sound: Sources, Magnitudes, Trends, and Impacts. SPRINGER SERIES ON ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6126-5_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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35
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Liu E, Zhang E, Li K, Nath B, Li Y, Shen J. Historical reconstruction of atmospheric lead pollution in central Yunnan province, southwest China: an analysis based on lacustrine sedimentary records. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2013; 20:8739-8750. [PMID: 23729030 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-013-1861-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2013] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric lead (Pb) pollution during the last century in central Yunnan province, one of the largest non-ferrous metal production centers in China, was reconstructed using sediment cores collected from Fuxian and Qingshui Lakes. Lead concentrations and isotopic ratios ((207)Pb/(206)Pb and (208)Pb/(206)Pb) were measured in sediment cores from both lakes. The operationally defined chemical fractions of Pb in sediment core from Fuxian Lake were determined by the optimized BCR procedure. The chronology of the cores was reconstructed using (210)Pb and (137)Cs dating methods. Similar three-phase variations in isotopic ratios and enrichment factors of Pb were observed in the sediment cores from both lakes. Before the 1950s, the sediment data showed low (207)Pb/(206)Pb and (208)Pb/(206)Pb ratios and enrichment factors (EFs=~1), indicating that the sedimentary Pb was predominantly of lithogenic origin. However, these indices were increased gradually between the 1950s and the mid-1980s, implying an atmospheric Pb deposition. The EFs and isotopic ratios of Pb reached their peak during recent years, indicating aggravating atmospheric Pb pollution. The average anthropogenic Pb fluxes since the mid-1980s were estimated to be 0.032 and 0.053 g m(-2) year(-1) recorded in Fuxian and Qingshui cores, respectively. The anthropogenic Pb was primarily concentrated in the reducible fraction. Combining the results of Pb isotopic compositions and chemical speciations in the sediment cores and in potential sources, we deduced that recent aggravating atmospheric Pb pollution in central Yunnan province should primarily be attributed to regional emissions from non-ferrous metal production industries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enfeng Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73, East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, China,
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36
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Xu W, Yan W, Huang W, Chen Z, Wang S, Miao L, Zhong L, Chen H. Mercury profiles in surface sediments from ten bays along the coast of Southern China. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2013; 76:394-399. [PMID: 23948092 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.07.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Revised: 07/23/2013] [Accepted: 07/25/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Spatial and temporal variations of mercury (Hg) were investigated from ten representative bays along the coast of Southern China. The total Hg (THg) in surface sediments varied widely with concentrations from 25 to 264 ng/g. As a whole, Hg pollution in several bays occupied by busy sea traffic and industrial activities, such as Shantou (ST) Bay and Dapeng (DP) Bay were remarkably more serious than others, which reflected the direct effects of anthropogenic activities around the coastal areas. Hg variations in sediment cores clearly display upcore rising trend which obviously correlates with the trend of economic development and urbanization in the last five decades. No significant correlations were found between Hg and organic matter and particle size, suggesting that the distribution of Hg is not fully controlled by these variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihai Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Marginal Sea Geology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510301, China
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37
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Goodsite ME, Outridge PM, Christensen JH, Dastoor A, Muir D, Travnikov O, Wilson S. How well do environmental archives of atmospheric mercury deposition in the Arctic reproduce rates and trends depicted by atmospheric models and measurements? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 452-453:196-207. [PMID: 23506852 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2013.02.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2012] [Revised: 02/17/2013] [Accepted: 02/17/2013] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
This review compares the reconstruction of atmospheric Hg deposition rates and historical trends over recent decades in the Arctic, inferred from Hg profiles in natural archives such as lake and marine sediments, peat bogs and glacial firn (permanent snowpack), against those predicted by three state-of-the-art atmospheric models based on global Hg emission inventories from 1990 onwards. Model veracity was first tested against atmospheric Hg measurements. Most of the natural archive and atmospheric data came from the Canadian-Greenland sectors of the Arctic, whereas spatial coverage was poor in other regions. In general, for the Canadian-Greenland Arctic, models provided good agreement with atmospheric gaseous elemental Hg (GEM) concentrations and trends measured instrumentally. However, there are few instrumented deposition data with which to test the model estimates of Hg deposition, and these data suggest models over-estimated deposition fluxes under Arctic conditions. Reconstructed GEM data from glacial firn on Greenland Summit showed the best agreement with the known decline in global Hg emissions after about 1980, and were corroborated by archived aerosol filter data from Resolute, Nunavut. The relatively stable or slowly declining firn and model GEM trends after 1990 were also corroborated by real-time instrument measurements at Alert, Nunavut, after 1995. However, Hg fluxes and trends in northern Canadian lake sediments and a southern Greenland peat bog did not exhibit good agreement with model predictions of atmospheric deposition since 1990, the Greenland firn GEM record, direct GEM measurements, or trends in global emissions since 1980. Various explanations are proposed to account for these discrepancies between atmosphere and archives, including problems with the accuracy of archive chronologies, climate-driven changes in Hg transfer rates from air to catchments, waters and subsequently into sediments, and post-depositional diagenesis in peat bogs. However, no general consensus in the scientific community has been achieved.
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Affiliation(s)
- M E Goodsite
- AU Herning, Aarhus University, Herning, Denmark.
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38
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Li HB, Yu S, Li GL, Deng H, Xu B, Ding J, Gao JB, Hong YW, Wong MH. Spatial distribution and historical records of mercury sedimentation in urban lakes under urbanization impacts. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 445-446:117-125. [PMID: 23327992 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.12.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2012] [Revised: 12/07/2012] [Accepted: 12/15/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
China is assumed one of the largest contributors to the world's total mercury (Hg) emissions, with a rapid increase in anthropogenic Hg emissions. However, little is known about Hg fate and transport in urban areas of China. In this study, total Hg contents in surface (0-5 cm) sediments from lakes in 14 parks (3 in the central urban core (CUC) area, 5 in the developed urban (DDU) area, 2 in the developing urban (DIU) area, and 4 in the suburban (SU) area) and (210)Pb-dated sediment cores from lakes in 5 parks (3 in the CUC and 2 in the DDU) in Shanghai were assessed to compare current patterns (urbanization effect) with the historical records of Hg emissions over the past century. Total Hg content in surface sediments showed a clear urbanization pattern. Dated sediment cores revealed a 2-3 fold increase in total Hg content, while Hg fluxes exponentially increased from ~1900 to present and accelerated since 1990 when China's economy and urbanization booms started. Anthropogenic Hg fluxes in post-2000 ranged from 253 to 1452 μg m(-2) yr(-1), 2-7 times greater than preindustrial (pre-1900) Hg fluxes. Total Hg and Pb contents in both surface sediments and sediment cores were highly correlated and Hg flux in sediment cores also significantly correlated with annual coal consumption in the period 1949-2008. The significant correlations suggest that coal combustion is a major source of Hg emission in Shanghai.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Bo Li
- Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
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39
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Hermanns YM, Biester H. Anthropogenic mercury signals in lake sediments from southernmost Patagonia, Chile. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 445-446:126-35. [PMID: 23333508 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2012] [Revised: 12/06/2012] [Accepted: 12/11/2012] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric mercury fluxes to terrestrial and aquatic surfaces in the Northern Hemisphere have increased since the Industrial Revolution. However fluxes are not well characterized for the Southern Hemisphere, since environmental archives are comparatively scarce. Mercury records from (210)Pb-dated sediment cores of three South Patagonian lakes were investigated in order to reveal the influence of anthropogenic activities on atmospheric mercury deposition in remote lakes of the Southern Hemisphere. Comparison with indicators of organic matter sources (carbon and nitrogen/carbon ratios) and a conservative mineral soil element (zirconium) in the sediments revealed that soil erosion is an important process contributing mercury to these lakes and influenced variation in concentrations through time. However, at ~1900 AD mercury accumulation increased independent from soil erosion and peaked from 1980 to 2000 AD. We attribute this to an increase in atmospheric mercury deposition in this remote region of the Southern Hemisphere. Mean flux ratios, which reflect the increase in modern mercury accumulation compared to pre-1850 AD, lie within a range of 1.4 to 2.4. These values indicate an increase in atmospheric mercury deposition slightly lower than predictions derived from global mercury models that suggest an increase in Hg deposition by a factor of 2 to 3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvonne-Marie Hermanns
- Institut für Geoökologie, Abteilung Geochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19c, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
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Tang RWK, Johnston TA, Gunn JM, Bhavsar SP. Temporal changes in mercury concentrations of large-bodied fishes in the boreal shield ecoregion of northern Ontario, Canada. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2013; 444:409-416. [PMID: 23280299 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.11.109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2012] [Revised: 11/28/2012] [Accepted: 11/30/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Much of the mercury (Hg) in freshwater fish of the boreal shield ecoregion is believed to originate from atmospheric deposition. As such, declines in fish Hg concentrations would be expected in response to recent declines in atmospheric Hg deposition in this ecoregion. We compared recent (2005-2010) and historic (1974-1981) muscle total mercury concentrations ([THg], standardized to a fish body mass of 1 kg) in seven fish species (five piscivores, two benthivores) from 73 lakes in northern Ontario (Canada) using a paired-comparisons approach. The rate of bioaccumulation (i.e., slopes of log(e)[THg] vs log(e) total length relationship) increased for walleye (Sander vitreus) but did not change significantly for any other species. There was no significant decline in mean [THg] between recent and historic time periods for any species. In fact, recent mean [THg] were slightly higher (<0.08 ppm) than historic mean [THg] for all species, and this difference was significant for northern pike (Esox lucius). The magnitude of the temporal change in northern pike declined significantly from south to north over the study area but there were no discernible geographic patterns in the temporal change in [THg] for any other species. This study shows that [THg] of most large-bodied fish species in boreal shield lakes are not declining in response to the decline in atmospheric Hg deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rex W K Tang
- Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
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Stankwitz C, Kaste JM, Friedland AJ. Threshold increases in soil lead and mercury from tropospheric deposition across an elevational gradient. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2012; 46:8061-8068. [PMID: 22759071 DOI: 10.1021/es204208w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric deposition is the primary mechanism by which remote ecosystems are contaminated, but few data sets show how fluxes change and control soil metal burdens at the landform scale. We present mercury (Hg), lead ((210)Pb and total Pb), and cosmogenic beryllium-7 ((7)Be) measurements in organic (O) soil horizons at high-resolution elevation intervals of ∼60 m from 540 to 1160 m on Camels Hump in northern Vermont, USA. Across this gradient, average O horizon Hg ranges from 0.99 mg m(-2) in the low elevation deciduous forest zone to 7.6 mg m(-2) in the higher elevation coniferous forest at 1030 m. We measure two pronounced threshold increases in soil metal burdens above 801 and 934 m, corresponding to the two most common altitudes of cloud base, which coincide with changes in vegetation species. Lead-210, a unique tracer of tropospheric deposition, also increased from 3200 Bq m(-2) to 11500 Bq m(-2) in O horizons, exhibiting threshold responses at the same elevations as Hg and total Pb. Concentrations of (210)Pb and Hg in foliage double from 760 to 900 m elevation, indicating enhanced deposition across the transition from deciduous to coniferous forest. In contrast, (7)Be is constant across the entire elevational gradient because of its upper atmospheric source. This indicates that the effects of orographic precipitation have a smaller control on soil contaminant burdens than the coupled cloudwater deposition-vegetation scavenging effect in the presence of upwind sources. By measuring soil contaminants and unique tracers of atmospheric deposition, we show that tropospheric fluxes of Hg and Pb are higher by a factor of 2 in high-elevation coniferous forests than in adjacent lowlands. Total O horizon Hg and Pb burdens increase by over 4-fold with elevation because of the compounding effects of enhanced deposition and longer metal residence times at higher elevations (>50 years).
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare Stankwitz
- Geology Department, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia 23187, USA
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Van Metre PC. Increased atmospheric deposition of mercury in reference lakes near major urban areas. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2012; 162:209-215. [PMID: 22243866 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2011.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2011] [Revised: 09/27/2011] [Accepted: 11/06/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric deposition of Hg is the predominant pathway for Hg to reach sensitive ecosystems, but the importance of emissions on near-field deposition remains unclear. To better understand spatial variability in Hg deposition, mercury concentrations were analyzed in sediment cores from 12 lakes with undeveloped watersheds near to (<50 km) and remote from (>150 km) several major urban areas in the United States. Background and focusing corrected Hg fluxes and flux ratios (modern to background) in the near-urban lakes (68 ± 6.9 μg m(-2) yr(-1) and 9.8 ± 4.8, respectively) greatly exceed those in the remote lakes (14 ± 9.3 μg m(-2) yr(-1) and 3.5 ± 1.0) and the fluxes are strongly related to distance from the nearest major urban area (r(2) = 0.87) and to population and Hg emissions within 50-100 km of the lakes. Comparison to monitored wet deposition suggests that dry deposition is a major contributor of Hg to lakes near major urban areas.
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Chalmers AT, Argue DM, Gay DA, Brigham ME, Schmitt CJ, Lorenz DL. Mercury trends in fish from rivers and lakes in the United States, 1969-2005. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2011; 175:175-91. [PMID: 20535551 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1504-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2009] [Accepted: 05/06/2010] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
A national dataset on concentrations of mercury in fish, compiled mainly from state and federal monitoring programs, was used to evaluate trends in mercury (Hg) in fish from US rivers and lakes. Trends were analyzed on data aggregated by site and by state, using samples of the same fish species and tissue type, and using fish of similar lengths. Site-based trends were evaluated from 1969 to 2005, but focused on a subset of the data from 1969 to 1987. Data aggregated by state were used to evaluate trends in fish Hg concentrations from 1988 to 2005. In addition, the most recent Hg fish data (1996-2005) were compared to wet Hg deposition data from the Mercury Deposition Network (MDN) over the same period. Downward trends in Hg concentrations in fish from data collected during 1969-1987 exceeded upward trends by a ratio of 6 to 1. Declining Hg accumulation rates in sediment and peat cores reported by many studies during the 1970s and 1980s correspond with the period when the most downward trends in fish Hg concentrations occurred. Downward Hg trends in both sediment cores and fish were also consistent with the implementation of stricter regulatory controls of direct releases of Hg to the atmosphere and surface waters during the same period. The southeastern USA had more upward Hg trends in fish than other regions for both site and state aggregated data. Upward Hg trends in fish from the southeastern USA were associated with increases in wet deposition in the region and may be attributed to a greater influence of global atmospheric Hg emissions in the southeastern USA. No significant trends were found in 62% of the fish species from six states from 1996 to 2005. A lack of Hg trends in fish in the more recent data was consistent with the lack of trends in wet Hg deposition at MDN sites and with relatively constant global emissions during the same time period. Although few significant trends were observed in the more recent Hg concentrations in fish, it is anticipated that Hg concentrations in fish will respond to changes in atmospheric Hg deposition, however, the magnitude and timing of the response is uncertain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann T Chalmers
- U.S. Geological Survey, 87 State Street, PO Box 628, Montpelier, VT 06501, USA.
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Furl CV, Meredith CA. Mercury accumulation in sediment cores from three Washington state lakes: evidence for local deposition from a coal-fired power plant. ARCHIVES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2011; 60:26-33. [PMID: 20437040 DOI: 10.1007/s00244-010-9530-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2010] [Accepted: 04/05/2010] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Mercury accumulation rates measured in age-dated sediment cores were compared at three Washington state lakes. Offutt Lake and Lake St. Clair are located immediately downwind (18 and 28 km, respectively) of a coal-fired power plant and Lake Sammamish is located outside of the immediate area of the plant (110 km). The sites immediately downwind of the power plant were expected to receive increased mercury deposition from particulate and reactive mercury not deposited at Lake Sammamish. Mercury accumulation in cores was corrected for variable sedimentation, background, and sediment focusing to estimate the anthropogenic contribution (Hg(A,F)). Results indicated lakes immediately downwind of the power plant contained elevated Hg(A,F) levels with respect to the reference lake. Estimated fluxes to Lake Sammamish were compared to measured values from a nearby mercury wet deposition collector to gauge the efficacy of the core deconstruction techniques. Total deposition calculated through the sediment core (20.7 μg/m²/year) fell just outside of the upper estimate (18.9 μg/m²/year) of total deposition approximated from the wet deposition collector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad V Furl
- Washington State Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA 98504, USA.
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Hare AA, Stern GA, Kuzyk ZZA, Macdonald RW, Johannessen SC, Wang F. Natural and anthropogenic mercury distribution in marine sediments from Hudson Bay, Canada. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2010; 44:5805-5811. [PMID: 20617840 DOI: 10.1021/es100724y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Twelve marine sediment cores from Hudson Bay, Canada, were collected to investigate the response of sub-Arctic marine sediments to atmospherically transported anthropogenic mercury (Hg). Modeling by a two-layer sediment mixing model suggests that the historical Hg deposition to most of the sediment cores reflects the known history of atmospheric Hg deposition in North America, with an onset of increasing anthropogenic Hg emissions in the late 1800s and early 1900s and a reduction of Hg deposition in the mid- to late-1900s. However, although anthropogenic Hg has contributed to a ubiquitous increase in Hg concentrations in sediments over the industrial era, the most elevated industrial-era sedimentary Hg concentrations only marginally exceed the upper preindustrial sedimentary Hg concentrations. Analysis of delta13C and relationship between Hg and organic matter capture suggests that the response of Hudson Bay sediments to changes in atmospheric Hg emissions is largely controlled by the particle flux in the system and that natural changes in organic matter composition and dynamics can cause variation in sedimentary Hg concentrations at least to the same extent as those caused by increasing anthropogenic Hg emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander A Hare
- Centre for Earth Observation Science, Department of Environment and Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada R3T 2N2
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Yang H, Battarbee RW, Turner SD, Rose NL, Derwent RG, Wu G, Yang R. Historical reconstruction of mercury pollution across the Tibetan Plateau using lake sediments. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2010; 44:2918-24. [PMID: 20345131 DOI: 10.1021/es9030408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The Tibetan Plateau is described as the "Roof of the World" averaging over 4000 m above sea level; it is remote, isolated, and presumed to be a pristine region. In order to study the history of atmospheric mercury (Hg) pollution and its spatial variation across the Plateau, lakes were chosen from three areas forming a north to south transect. Sediment cores were taken from three sites in each area and dated using the radionuclides 210Pb and 137Cs. Analysis of the cores yielded the first comprehensive Hg reconstructions for the Plateau, showing clear Hg pollution at all sites. The first indication of Hg pollution is much earlier than the onset of the industrial revolution in Europe, but the most significant pollution increase is from the 1970s, followed by a further marked increase from the 1990s. The mean post-2000 atmospheric pollution Hg accumulation rates for the sampling sites were estimated at between 5.1 and 7.9 microg m(-2) yr(-1). The increase in Hg pollution over the last few decades is synchronous with the recent economic development in Asia (especially China and India), and pollution Hg levels continue to increase. Furthermore, contemporary sediment Hg accumulation rate data are in broad agreement with Hg deposition values derived from global models that attribute pollution to sources mainly within southeast Asia. As most of the sites are exceptionally remote and situated above the atmospheric boundary layer, these results underline the need to understand the local Hg cycle in both regional and global context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Handong Yang
- Environmental Change Research Centre, University College London, Pearson Building, Gower Street, London WC1E6BT, U.K.
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Mills RB, Paterson AM, Lean DRS, Smol JP, Mierle G, Blais JM. Dissecting the spatial scales of mercury accumulation in Ontario lake sediment. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2009; 157:2949-2956. [PMID: 19577830 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2009.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2008] [Revised: 05/21/2009] [Accepted: 06/03/2009] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Total mercury concentration was analyzed in 171 lakes from pre-industrial (>30 cm depth; Hg(pre-industrial)) and present-day sediments (0.5-1 cm; Hg(present-day)). Numerous hot or cold spots of sediment mercury enrichment (Hg EF; Hg(pre-industrial)/Hg(present-day)) were evident as determined by local tests of autocorrelation, although in most cases, the maximum correlation among sites was not the nearest neighbor, indicating a strong influence of watershed characteristics. Hg EF was correlated with the area of open water (ha) (r = 0.91, p = 0.035), mine tailings (r = 0.94, p = 0.019), and organic deposits in surficial geology of the watershed (r = -0.91, p = 0.034). Through use of local rather than global regression coefficients, R(2) increased from 0.20 (p = 0.005) to 0.60 (p = 0.013). A broad spatial pattern (>500 km) observed only in Hg(pre-industrial) was best explained by mean annual precipitation (shared variance = 3.5%), while finer spatial patterns only observed in Hg(present-day) and Hg EF were best explained by pH (average shared variance = 10.8%).
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Affiliation(s)
- R Brad Mills
- University of Ottawa, Department of Biology, Chemical and Environmental Toxicology, Ontario, Canada.
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Muir DCG, Wang X, Yang F, Nguyen N, Jackson TA, Evans MS, Douglas M, Köck G, Lamoureux S, Pienitz R, Smol JP, Vincent WF, Dastoor A. Spatial trends and historical deposition of mercury in eastern and northern Canada inferred from lake sediment cores. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2009; 43:4802-9. [PMID: 19673268 DOI: 10.1021/es8035412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Recent and historical deposition of mercury (Hg) was examined over a broad geographic area from southwestern Northwest Territories to Labrador and from the U.S. Northeast to northern Ellesmere Island using dated sediment cores from 50 lakes (18 in midlatitudes (41-50 degrees N), 14 subarctic (51-64 degrees N) and 18 in the Arctic (65-83 degrees N)). Distinct increases of Hg overtime were observed in 76% of Arctic, 86% of subarctic and 100% of midlatitude cores. Subsurface maxima in Hg depositional fluxes (microg m(-2) y(-1)) were observed in only 28% of midlatitude lakes and 18% of arctic lakes, indicating little recent reduction of inputs. Anthropogenic Hg fluxes adjusted for sediment focusing and changes in sedimentation rates (deltaF(adj,F)) ranged from -22.9 to 61 microg m(-2) y(-1) and were negatively correlated (r = -0.57, P < 0.001) with latitude. Hg flux ratios (FRs; post-1990)/pre-1850) ranged from 0.5 to 7.7. The latitudinal trend for Hg deltaF(adj,F) values showed excellent agreement with predictions of the global mercury model, GRAHM for the geographic location of each lake (r = 0.933, P < 0.001). The results are consistent with a scenario of slow atmospheric oxidation of mercury, and slow deposition of reactive mercury emissions, declining with increasing latitude away from emission sources in the midlatitudes, and support the view that there are significant anthropogenic Hg inputs in the Arctic.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C G Muir
- Environment Canada, Aquatic Ecosystem Protection Research Division, Burlington ON L7R 4A6, Canada.
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Bond AL, Diamond AW. Mercury concentrations in seabird tissues from Machias Seal Island, New Brunswick, Canada. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2009; 407:4340-7. [PMID: 19419752 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2009] [Revised: 04/15/2009] [Accepted: 04/16/2009] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a pervasive environmental contaminant, the anthropogenic portion of which is increasing globally, and in northeastern North America in particular. Seabirds frequently are used as indicators of the marine environment, including mercury contamination. We analysed paired samples for total mercury (Hg) concentrations in feathers and blood from adult and chick, albumen, and lipid-free yolk of seven seabirds breeding on Machias Seal Island, New Brunswick, Canada - Arctic Tern (Sterna paradisaea), Atlantic Puffin (Fratercula arctica), Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), Common Murre (Uria aalge), Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), Leach's Storm-petrel (Oceanodroma leucorhoa), and Razorbill (Alca torda). We also used stable-isotope ratios of carbon (delta(13)C), and nitrogen (delta(15)N) to evaluate the relationship between carbon source and trophic position and mercury. We found high Hg concentrations across tissue types in Leach's Storm-petrels, and Razorbills, with lower concentrations in other species, the lowest being in Common Eiders. Storm-petrels prey on mesopelagic fish that accumulate mercury, and Razorbills feed on larger, older fish that bioaccumulate heavy metals. Biomagnification of Hg, or the increase in Hg concentration with trophic position as measured by delta(15)N, was significant and greater in albumen than other tissues, whereas in other tissues, delta(15)N explained little of the overall variation in Hg concentration. Hg concentrations in egg components are higher on Machias Seal Island than other sites globally and in the Gulf of Maine region, but only for some species. Further detailed investigations are required to determine the cause of this trend.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander L Bond
- Atlantic Cooperative Wildlife Ecology Research Network, University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.
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Van Metre PC, Fuller CC. Dual-core mass-balance approach for evaluating mercury and 210Pb atmospheric fallout and focusing to lakes. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2009; 43:26-32. [PMID: 19209580 DOI: 10.1021/es801490c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Determining atmospheric deposition rates of mercury and other contaminants using lake sediment cores requires a quantitative understanding of sediment focusing. Here we present a novel approach that solves mass-balance equations fortwo cores algebraicallyto estimate contaminant contributions to sediment from direct atmospheric fallout and from watershed and in-lake focusing. The model is applied to excess 210Pb and Hg in coresfrom Hobbs Lake, a high-altitude lake in Wyoming. Model results for excess 210Pb are consistent with estimates of fallout and focusing factors computed using excess 210Pb burdens in lake cores and soil cores from the watershed and model results for Hg fallout are consistent with fallout estimated using the soil-core-based 210Pb focusing factors. The lake cores indicate small increases in mercury deposition beginning in the late 1800s and large increases after 1940, with the maximum at the tops of the cores of 16-20 microg/m2 x year. These results suggest that global Hg emissions and possibly regional emissions in the western United States are affecting the north-central Rocky Mountains. Hg fallout estimates are generally consistent with fallout reported from an ice core from the nearby Upper Fremont Glacier, but with several notable differences. The model might not work for lakes with complex geometries and multiple sediment inputs, but for lakes with simple geometries, like Hobbs, it can provide a quantitative approach for evaluating sediment focusing and estimating contaminant fallout.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter C Van Metre
- U.S. Geological Survey, 8027 Exchange Drive, Austin, Texas 78754, USA.
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