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Peng H, Rong Y, Chen D, Sun R, Huang J, Ding H, Olid C, Yan H. Anthropogenic activity and millennial climate variability affect Holocene mercury deposition of an alpine wetland near the largest mercury mine in China. CHEMOSPHERE 2023; 316:137855. [PMID: 36642145 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.137855] [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: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a potentially toxic element that can be transported globally through the atmosphere, once deposited in the environment, has strong bioaccumulation and extreme toxicity in food webs, especially in wetland ecosystems. Anthropogenic Hg emissions have enhanced Hg deposition by 3-5 times since the industrial revolution, and the mining and smelting of Hg ore are important emission sources. However, the dynamics in Hg deposition around the largest Hg mine in China before the industrial revolution and their driving forces remain poorly explored. Here we reconstruct the atmospheric Hg depositional fluxes (named here Hg influx (Hginflux)) during the Holocene using a 450-cm alpine wetland sediment core taken from the Jiulongchi wetland, which is only 65 km to the Wanshan Mercury Mine. Our record shows an abrupt rapid increase in Hg concentration since 2500 cal yr BP, suggesting that Hg mining in southwest China may have started before the establishment of the Qin dynasty. Two major Hginflux peaks were found during the periods 10,000-6000 and 6000 - 3800 cal yr BP, with an increase in Hg deposition by a factor of 4-8. These two peaks are also found in other terrestrial archives from several sites across the Northern Hemisphere. We speculate that critical millennial-scale climate changes, i.e., the Holocene Climatic Optimum (HCO) and the Mid-Holocene Transition (MHT), were the potential triggers of these two Hginflux peaks. This study highlights the importance of climatic variability and local Hg mining in controlling atmospheric Hg deposition during the Holocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haijun Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Quaternary Science and Global Change, Xi'an, 710061, China.
| | - Yimeng Rong
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Di Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Ruiyang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Jie Huang
- Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Hanwei Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Carolina Olid
- UB-Geomodels Research Institute, Departament de Dinàmica de la Terra i l'Oceà, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Haiyu Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China
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Torres FG, De-la-Torre GE. Mercury pollution in Peru: geographic distribution, health hazards, and sustainable removal technologies. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:54045-54059. [PMID: 35650340 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-21152-7] [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: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Peru is one of the great gold producers worldwide. However, a significant portion of the gold produced in Peru derives from artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in the Andes and Amazon. In ASGM, gold amalgamation with mercury (Hg) is a critical procedure to refine gold through the formation of Au-Hg alloys. Due to the rudimentary and improvised techniques conducted by small-scale and informal miners, Hg contamination has become of great concern and is strictly associated with ASGM. Multiple studies have evidenced notably high concentrations of Hg in consumable fish species, rivers, sediments, and air in locations where ASGM is one of the main sources of income to local communities and is carried out aggressively. In the present review, we have conducted a systematic search for national and international literature reporting the concentration and distribution of Hg pollution across environmental compartments, biota, and human samples in Peru. The results and data retrieved from the articles were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed, and the distribution of Hg across environmental compartments was visualized through a geographic information system. Additionally, we reviewed the use of adsorption techniques as alternatives to treat Hg0 vapor from the gold shop and smelter flues, one of the main sources of hazardous levels of Hg exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando G Torres
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. Av. Universitaria 1801, Lima, 15088, Peru.
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Velásquez Ramírez MG, Vega Ruiz CM, Gomringer RC, Pillaca M, Thomas E, Stewart PM, Gamarra Miranda LA, Dañobeytia FR, Guerrero Barrantes JA, Gushiken MC, Bardales JV, Silman M, Fernandez L, Ascorra C, Torres DDC. Mercury in soils impacted by alluvial gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 288:112364. [PMID: 33774565 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Gold mining is the largest source of mercury (Hg) pollution worldwide. The discharge of mercury in the environment bears direct human health risks and is likely to increase cascading effects throughout local food chains. In the Peruvian Amazon the mining process consists of slashing and burning trees, followed by extraction of gold-bearing sediment, amalgamation with Hg and gold recovery, leading each year to the degradation of 6,000-10,000 ha and the release of 180 metric tons of Hg per year to the enviroment. The purpose of this study was to determine soil Hg levels in soils of abandoned alluvial gold mine spoils and undisturbed forest in the Madre de Dios region, the epicenter of alluvial gold mining in Peru. We selected gold mine spoils of the two most important technologies locally applied for gold extraction, i.e., Minimally Mechanized Mining (MMM) and Highly Mechanized Mining (HMM), in the native communities of Laberinto and Kotzimba, respectively. We collected 127 and 35 soil samples (0-20cm depth) from potentially contaminated sites and undisturbed forest, respectively. Physicochemical analysis and determination of Hg levels were determined for all soil samples. None of the samples had Hg concentrations above Peruvian, Canadian and British Environmental Quality Standards for Agricultural Soil (6.6mg/kg). Hg levels in MMM and HMM were not significantly different between the two areas. The main variables explaining variation of soil Hg concentrations were the vegetation cover, soil organic matter, soil pH and clay particle content, which explained up to 80% of data set variation. Surprisingly, highest Hg concentrations were found in untouched old-growth forest bordering the mine spoils, but there was also a trend of increasing Hg concentrations with the regenerating vegetation. Our findings suggest that Hg concentrations in old mine spoils are low and shouldn't stand in the way of efforts to restore soil conditions and develop sustainable land uses. However, it is urgent to end the use of Hg in mining operation to decrease human and environmental risks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Claudia Maribel Vega Ruiz
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, 17000, Madre de Dios, Peru; Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106, Peru.
| | - Ronald Corvera Gomringer
- Dirección Regional IIAP Madre de Dios y Selva Sur, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Jr. Ica N°1162, Puerto Maldonado, Apartado postal, 17001, Peru.
| | - Martin Pillaca
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, 17000, Madre de Dios, Peru.
| | - Evert Thomas
- Bioversity International, Av. La Molina, 1895, Lima, Apartado postal Lima12, Peru.
| | - Paul Michael Stewart
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Troy University, Troy, AL, 36081, Alabama, USA.
| | - Luis Alfredo Gamarra Miranda
- Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Jr. Ica N°1162, Puerto Maldonado, apartado, 17001, Peru.
| | - Francisco Roman Dañobeytia
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, 17000, Madre de Dios, Peru; Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106, Peru.
| | - Juan Antonio Guerrero Barrantes
- Departamento de suelos, Universidad Nacional Agraria, La Molina (UNALM), Av. La Molina s/n, Lima, Perú, apartado postal Lima12, Peru.
| | - Midori Chinen Gushiken
- Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Jr. Ica N°1162, Puerto Maldonado, apartado, 17001, Peru.
| | - Joel Vasquez Bardales
- Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Jr. Ica N°1162, Puerto Maldonado, apartado, 17001, Peru.
| | - Miles Silman
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, 17000, Madre de Dios, Peru; Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106, Peru.
| | - Luis Fernandez
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, 17000, Madre de Dios, Peru; Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106, Peru; Department of Global Ecology, Carnegie Insitution For Science, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Cesar Ascorra
- Centro de Innovación Científica Amazónica (CINCIA), Puerto Maldonado, 17000, Madre de Dios, Peru; Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, 27106, Peru.
| | - Dennis Del Castillo Torres
- Programa BOSQUES, Instituto de Investigaciones de la Amazonía Peruana (IIAP), Iquitos, apartado postal, 16000, Peru.
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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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5
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Martínez Cortizas A, Horák-Terra I, Pérez-Rodríguez M, Bindler R, Cooke CA, Kylander M. Structural equation modeling of long-term controls on mercury and bromine accumulation in Pinheiro mire (Minas Gerais, Brazil). THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 757:143940. [PMID: 33321335 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The application of statistical modeling is still infrequent in mercury research in peat, despite the ongoing debate on the weight of the diverse factors (climate, peat decomposition, vegetation changes, etc.) that may affect mercury accumulation. One of the few exceptions is the Hg record of Pinheiro mire (souheast Brazil). Previous studies on this mire modeled mercury using principal components regression and partial least squares. These methods assume independence between factors, which is seldom the case in natural systems, thus hampering the identification of mediating effects and interactions. To overcome these limitations, in this reserach we use structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to model mercury and bromine peat records - bromine has been used in some investigations to normalize mercury accumuation. The mercury model explained 83% of the variance and suggested a complex control: increased peat decomposition, dust deposition and humid climates enhanced mercury accumulation, while increased mineral fluxes resulted in a decrease in mercury accumulation. The bromine model explained 90% of the variation in concentrations: increased dust deposition and peat decomposition promoted bromine accumulation, while time (i.e. peat age) promoted bromine depletion. Thus, although mercury and bromine are both organically bound elements with relevant atmospheric cycles the weights of the factors involved in their accumulation differed significantly. Our results suggest caution when using bromine to normalize mercury accumulation. PLS-SEM results indicate a large time dependence of peat decomposition, catchment mineral fluxes, long-term climate change, and atmospheric deposition; while atmospheric dust, mineral fluxes and peat decomposition showed high to moderate climate dependency. In particular, they also point to a relevant role of autogenic processes (i.e. the build up and expansion of the mire within the catchment), which controlled local mineral fluxes; an aspect that has seldom been considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Martínez Cortizas
- Ecopast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
| | - Ingrid Horák-Terra
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Unaí, Brazil
| | - Marta Pérez-Rodríguez
- Institut für Geoökologie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Richard Bindler
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science, University of Umea, Umea, Sweden
| | - Colin A Cooke
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | - Malin Kylander
- Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Adams EM, Williams KA, Olsen BJ, Evers DC. Mercury exposure in migrating songbirds: correlations with physical condition. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1240-1253. [PMID: 32189148 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-020-02190-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Many migratory songbirds are at high risk of methylmercury (MeHg) exposure due to their trophic position and foraging in and around wetland habitats. Methylmercury has the potential to alter migratory behaviors and physiology via neurological impairment or reduced flight performance and can be remobilized from songbird muscle tissue during migration, increasing the risk of acute MeHg exposure. To document MeHg exposure and its relationship with physical condition in migratory songbirds, we sampled passerine blood and feathers at a migration stopover site on Key Biscayne, FL during fall and spring from 2009 to 2012. We found evidence that spring blood total mercury (THg) concentrations decreased throughout the day and that fall feather THg concentrations changed over the migratory season. Total mercury exposure was marginally correlated with migratory fat stores and related to changes in pectoral muscle thickness by time of day. These patterns suggest that environmentally relevant levels of THg are related to, and may be influencing, the physical condition of free-living migrating songbirds. Further research and monitoring during the migratory period will be important to elucidate exposure risk across multiple species and assess the potential for effects during this complex period of the annual cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan M Adams
- School of Biology and Ecology, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Chadbourne Hall, Orono, ME, USA.
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Rd., Portland, ME, 04103, USA.
| | - Kathryn A Williams
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Rd., Portland, ME, 04103, USA
| | - Brian J Olsen
- School of Biology and Ecology, Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, Chadbourne Hall, Orono, ME, USA
| | - David C Evers
- Biodiversity Research Institute, 276 Canco Rd., Portland, ME, 04103, USA
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7
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Bruno DE, Ruban DA, Tiess G, Pirrone N, Perrotta P, Mikhailenko AV, Ermolaev VA, Yashalova NN. Artisanal and small-scale gold mining, meandering tropical rivers, and geological heritage: Evidence from Brazil and Indonesia. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 715:136907. [PMID: 32041045 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.136907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 01/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) flourishes along many tropical rivers, and it still requires proper documentation in many countries, as well as interpretation in terms of rational resource exploitation and wildlife preservation. In this study we used remote sensing techniques to analyze two representative examples of ASGM: one along the Marupa River in Brazil (Tapajós Domain) and another one along the Kahayan River in Indonesia (Central Kalimantan). The documented spatial extent of ASGM is ~9175 km2 along the Marupa River and ~30,427 km2 along the Kahayan River. It was established these activities change rapidly (2-3 years) in space. Although active and inactive sites occur in both areas, a great number of inactive sites distinguish the Marupa River. It is very crucial that ASGM along the Marupa and Kahayan rivers link strongly to watercourse meanders, but also changes river valley morphology. This is an interesting evidence of coupled fluvial-anthropic morphodynamics of meandering river valleys. Geological phenomena represented in the study areas include gold resource exploitation (economic phenomenon), landforms and their dynamics (geomorphological phenomenon), and mercury environmental pollution (geochemical phenomenon). Due to remarkable spatial extent and evident interconnection, these phenomena seem to be unique and, thus, constituting geological heritage. Identification of the latter means that ASGM sites add value to the local environment. A paradox is that illegal and mercury-releasing ASGM needs termination, but such an action will result in the loss of the noted geological heritage value. Solution to this paradox requires careful development of plans for local management. However, it is clear that the presence of the noted heritage requires turning more attention to ASGM and their natural (river valley) context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia E Bruno
- Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, CNR, c/o UNICAL Polifunzionale, Rende 87036, Italy; Agency for International Minerals Policy (MinPol GmbH), Dundlerinweg 120/1, Dreistetten A2753, Austria.
| | - Dmitry A Ruban
- Agency for International Minerals Policy (MinPol GmbH), Dundlerinweg 120/1, Dreistetten A2753, Austria; K.G. Razumovsky Moscow State University of Technologies and Management (the First Cossack University), Zemlyanoy Val Street 73, Moscow 109004, Russia; Higher School of Business, Southern Federal University, 23-ja Linija Street 43, Rostov-on-Don 344019, Russia
| | - Günter Tiess
- Agency for International Minerals Policy (MinPol GmbH), Dundlerinweg 120/1, Dreistetten A2753, Austria; Faculty of Mining and Geology, VSB - Technical University of Ostrava, Ostrava 70032, Czech Republic.
| | - Nicola Pirrone
- Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, CNR, c/o UNICAL Polifunzionale, Rende 87036, Italy.
| | | | - Anna V Mikhailenko
- Department of Physical Geography, Ecology, and Nature Protection, Institute of Earth Sciences, Southern Federal University, Zorge Street 40, Rostov-on-Don 344090, Russia
| | - Vladimir A Ermolaev
- Department of Commodity Science and Expertise, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Stremyanny Lane 36, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Natalia N Yashalova
- Department of Economics and Management, Business School, Cherepovets State University, Sovetskiy Avenue 10, Cherepovets, Vologda Region 162600, Russia
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8
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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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9
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Zhan T, Zhou X, Cheng W, He X, Tu L, Liu X, Ge J, Xie Y, Zhang J, Ma Y, Li E, Qiao Y. Atmospheric mercury accumulation rate in northeastern China during the past 800 years as recorded by the sediments of Tianchi Crater Lake. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2020; 27:571-578. [PMID: 31808082 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-019-06927-9] [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: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
An evaluation of the history of anthropogenic mercury (Hg) emissions is needed to quantify total atmospheric Hg emissions since the Industrial Revolution. Thus more long-term records of Hg accumulation rate from natural archives are needed. In the present study, a sediment core from Tianchi Lake, a crater lake in northeastern China, was used to reconstruct atmospheric Hg accumulation rates during the past 800 years. The results show that both Hg concentration and Hg accumulation rate began to increase from 29.5 to 40.2 ng g-1 and from 1.44 to 2.26 μg m-2 yr-1, respectively, at ~ 1750 AD, synchronous with the initiation of the Industrial Revolution. The Hg accumulation rate and Hg concentration increased significantly at ~ 1850 AD, and subsequently, there were two prominent peaks, at ~ 1940 AD and ~ 1980 AD, which are temporally consistent with the Second World War and the peak in commercial usage of Hg, respectively. The Hg accumulation rate and Hg concentration decreased after ~ 1980 AD, possibly because of the decrease in the global Hg background at that time. Differences in regional Hg emissions and atmospheric circulation may be responsible for the different trends in Hg accumulation rate after ~ 1980 AD in the Tibetan Plateau and northeastern China. Our results provide new data for evaluating natural and anthropogenic Hg emissions to the atmosphere in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Zhan
- General Institute of Ecological Geology Survey and Research of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Xin Zhou
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China.
| | - Wenhan Cheng
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, K1N 6 N5, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xiaoqing He
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Luyao Tu
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Xiaoyan Liu
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230026, China
| | - Junyi Ge
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Yuanyun Xie
- Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Monitoring of Geographic Environment for Heilongjiang Province, Harbin Normal University, Harbin, 150025, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- General Institute of Ecological Geology Survey and Research of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Yongfa Ma
- General Institute of Ecological Geology Survey and Research of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - E Li
- General Institute of Ecological Geology Survey and Research of Heilongjiang Province, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Yansong Qiao
- Institute of Geomechanics, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China
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10
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Schudel G, Kaplan R, Adler Miserendino R, Veiga MM, Velasquez-López PC, Guimarães JRD, Bergquist BA. Mercury isotopic signatures of tailings from artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in southwestern Ecuador. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 686:301-310. [PMID: 31181517 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is currently one of the largest anthropogenic sources of mercury (Hg) to the atmosphere and a significant source to downstream terrestrial aquatic systems. Given the potential toxicity of Hg when it is released to aquatic ecosystems, both scientific and regulatory communities have interest in the development of tools and methods for understanding the fate and transport of Hg in the environment. Although Hg isotopes are applied extensively to trace other anthropogenic point sources of Hg in aquatic ecosystems, few studies have used isotopic analyses to investigate the downstream impacts of ASGM. Furthermore, these studies are currently limited by relatively sparse Hg isotopic analyses on ASGM materials. In this study, ASGM samples from Portovelo-Zaruma (Ecuador), representing various stages of the processing of low-grade gold-bearing ores, were analyzed for Hg concentrations and stable isotope ratios. These data were used to assess the isotopic variability of the ASGM endmember and confirm the results of prior isotopic analyses of ASGM materials and downstream sediments from Portovelo-Zaruma. While the Hg concentrations of the ASGM samples varied significantly, isotopic analyses revealed a limited range of signatures that was characterized by relatively heavy mass-dependent fractionation (MDF) with little to no significant mass-independent fractionation (MIF). The signatures of ASGM samples analyzed in this study matched well with previously reported ASGM samples from Portovelo-Zaruma as well as downstream sediments (for up to 120 km). Furthermore, the overall Hg isotopic compositions of potential ASGM endmembers are distinct from typical compositions observed in freshwater ecosystems (e.g., from soil erosion, atmospheric deposition), allowing Hg isotopes to be a powerful tool in tracing downstream Hg contamination from ASGM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Schudel
- University of Toronto, Department of Earth Sciences, 22 Russell Street, Toronto M5S 3B1, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Kaplan
- University of Toronto, Department of Earth Sciences, 22 Russell Street, Toronto M5S 3B1, ON, Canada
| | - Rebecca Adler Miserendino
- University of Toronto, Department of Earth Sciences, 22 Russell Street, Toronto M5S 3B1, ON, Canada; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health Sciences, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore 21205-2103, MD, USA
| | - Marcello M Veiga
- University of British Columbia, Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering, Vancouver, BC V6T IZ4, Canada
| | - P Colon Velasquez-López
- Universidad Tecnica de Machala, Avenida Paquisha Km 5,5 via Pasaje-Machala, Machala, El Oro, Ecuador
| | - Jean Remy Davée Guimarães
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Inst. de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Bloco G, CCS, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro 21949-902, Brazil
| | - Bridget A Bergquist
- University of Toronto, Department of Earth Sciences, 22 Russell Street, Toronto M5S 3B1, ON, Canada.
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11
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Wang X, Sun J, Wu L, Xu L, Zhou Y, Rao Z, Jin J, Liu X. Is fish bone subfossil a good archive of heavy metal pollution on Nandao Island, South China Sea? MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2019; 143:175-186. [PMID: 31789153 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Revised: 04/13/2019] [Accepted: 04/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
To examine whether historical fish bones can record the magnitude of heavy metal pollution, we analyzed up to 700 years old fish bone remains extracted from an ornithogenic sediment profile on Nandao Island, South China Sea. Bulk sediments and subfossil fish bones were analyzed for elemental and mineralogical composition, as well as stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes. The results showed that pre-1850 CE fish bones experienced significant diagenesis, and could not be used to reconstruct historical record of heavy metal pollution. Fish bone diagenesis was mainly attributed to the erosion from guano in sediment profile. In contrast, the fish bones from in post-1850 CE time were well preserved and could provide useful information on historical pollution loads over the past 160 years. Since 1850 CE, relatively high concentrations of heavy metals from anthropogenic sources, especially Zn, were recorded in fish bone subfossils on Nandao Island, South China Sea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueying Wang
- Institute of Polar Environment & Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Jing Sun
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Libin Wu
- Institute of Polar Environment & Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China; Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Liqiang Xu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei, Anhui 230009, China
| | - Yongli Zhou
- Institute of Polar Environment & Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Zixuan Rao
- Institute of Polar Environment & Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Jing Jin
- Institute of Polar Environment & Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China
| | - Xiaodong Liu
- Institute of Polar Environment & Anhui Key Laboratory of Polar Environment and Global Change, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui 230026, China.
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12
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Kahhat R, Parodi E, Larrea-Gallegos G, Mesta C, Vázquez-Rowe I. Environmental impacts of the life cycle of alluvial gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 662:940-951. [PMID: 30795481 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Alluvial gold mining activities in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest are responsible for mercury emissions and deforestation. To understand related environmental impacts, specifically toxicity and climate change, this study uses Life Cycle Assessment methodology. Four predominant extraction systems were selected and modelled and three scenarios that reflect currently available gold recovery systems were modelled: amalgamation, amalgamation with mercury recovery through retort system and gravimetric tables. The USEtox and IPCC life cycle impact assessment methods were used to assess the environmental impacts in term of human toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity and climate change. Results show that for all systems, human toxicity values are governed by mercury emissions in gold recovery activities (ca. 80%). However, the use of retort significantly lowers these impacts (ca. 90%). Machines and diesel use for ore extraction and freighting activities drive freshwater ecotoxicity. Moreover, deforestation has a major contribution on the environmental impacts related to climate change. However, these impacts are dependent on the type of extraction system. Although human toxicity, freshwater ecotoxicity and climate change are frequently studied separately, a direct relationship between them has been identified in this system. Finally, beyond the environmental burdens related to alluvial gold mining, there are impacts affecting the social, cultural, and economic dimensions that will need to be analyzed to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramzy Kahhat
- Peruvian Life Cycle Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria 1801 San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru.
| | - Eduardo Parodi
- Peruvian Life Cycle Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria 1801 San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru
| | - Gustavo Larrea-Gallegos
- Peruvian Life Cycle Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria 1801 San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru
| | - Carlos Mesta
- Peruvian Life Cycle Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria 1801 San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru
| | - Ian Vázquez-Rowe
- Peruvian Life Cycle Network (PELCAN), Department of Engineering, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Av. Universitaria 1801 San Miguel, 15088 Lima, Peru
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13
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Gerson AR, Cristol DA, Seewagen CL. Environmentally relevant methylmercury exposure reduces the metabolic scope of a model songbird. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 246:790-796. [PMID: 30623835 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.12.072] [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: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
For most birds, energy efficiency and conservation are paramount to balancing the competing demands of self-maintenance, reproduction, and other demanding life history stages. Yet the ability to maximize energy output for behaviors like predator escape and migration is often also critical. Environmental perturbations that affect energy metabolism may therefore have important consequences for fitness and survival. Methylmercury (MeHg) is a global pollutant that has wide-ranging impacts on physiological systems, but its effects on the metabolism of birds and other vertebrates are poorly understood. We investigated dose-dependent effects of dietary MeHg on the body composition, basal and peak metabolic rates (BMR, PMR), and respiratory quotients (RQ) of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Dietary exposure levels (0.0, 0.1, or 0.6 ppm wet weight) were intended to reflect a range of mercury concentrations found in invertebrate prey of songbirds in areas contaminated by atmospheric deposition or point-source pollution. We found adiposity increased with MeHg exposure. BMR also increased with exposure while PMR decreased, together resulting in reduced metabolic scope in both MeHg-exposed treatments. There were differences in RQ among treatments that suggested a compromised ability of exposed birds to rapidly metabolize carbohydrates during exercise in a hop-hover wheel. The elevated BMR of exposed birds may have been due to energetic costs of depurating MeHg, whereas the reduced PMR could have been due to reduced oxygen carrying capacity and/or reduced glycolytic capacity. Our results suggest that environmentally relevant mercury exposure is capable of compromising the ability of songbirds to both budget and rapidly exert energy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander R Gerson
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Daniel A Cristol
- Biology Department, College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA, 23187, USA
| | - Chad L Seewagen
- Great Hollow Nature Preserve & Ecological Research Center, New Fairfield, CT, 06812, USA; AKRF Inc., White Plains, NY, 10601, USA
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14
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Green CS, Lewis PJ, Wozniak JR, Drevnick PE, Thies ML. A comparison of factors affecting the small-scale distribution of mercury from artisanal small-scale gold mining in a Zimbabwean stream system. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 647:400-410. [PMID: 30086492 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.418] [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: 01/17/2018] [Revised: 07/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Artisanal small-scale gold mining (ASGM) operations use mercury liberally in the gold extraction process and account for approximately one quarter of the anthropogenic mercury consumption worldwide. ASGM activities are concentrated in many impoverished and poorly regulated countries such as Zimbabwe, resulting in a number of negative impacts to health and the environment. To examine levels of mercury contamination in one such geographic locality, sediment and tailing samples were collected in a heavily mined watershed in southern Zimbabwe from May-June 2015. Samples were collected from multiple points within the stream system, as well as from around six stamp mills and a single industrial mine in the watershed. GPS point location data were taken for mining operations and sampling sites to examine the spatial patterns of mercury concentration. Data were first analyzed using linear regression and development of a MARS model, followed by application of an ANCOVA model to assess the relationship among mercury concentrations and percent organic material, distance downstream, and distance from potential contamination source. Mercury concentrations within the study area ranged from 6 to 1541 μg/kg dw (mean 142 μg/kg dw). Analyses of mercury concentrations indicated a positive relationship with percent organic material but a negative relationship with distance downstream and distance from potential contamination source. Results from this study help elucidate the relationship between gold production and the spatial scale of mercury contamination in aquatic ecosystems in Africa. These data may lead to a better understanding of the relationship between mercury use and community health, which may aid both the local and global communities in regulating mercury contamination of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey S Green
- Raven Environmental Services, Inc., P.O. Box 6482, Huntsville, TX 77342, United States.
| | - Patrick J Lewis
- Sam Houston State University, 1900 Avenue I, Huntsville, TX 77340, United States
| | - Jeffery R Wozniak
- Sam Houston State University, 1900 Avenue I, Huntsville, TX 77340, United States
| | - Paul E Drevnick
- Alberta Environment and Parks, 2938 11 Street NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7L7, Canada
| | - Monte L Thies
- Sam Houston State University, 1900 Avenue I, Huntsville, TX 77340, United States
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15
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Zaferani S, Pérez-Rodríguez M, Biester H. Diatom ooze—A large marine mercury sink. Science 2018; 361:797-800. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aat2735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Zaferani
- Institut für Geoökologie AG Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Marta Pérez-Rodríguez
- Institut für Geoökologie AG Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Harald Biester
- Institut für Geoökologie AG Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
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16
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Schudel G, Miserendino RA, Veiga MM, Velasquez-López PC, Lees PSJ, Winland-Gaetz S, Davée Guimarães JR, Bergquist BA. An investigation of mercury sources in the Puyango-Tumbes River: Using stable Hg isotopes to characterize transboundary Hg pollution. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 202:777-787. [PMID: 29609178 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.03.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2017] [Revised: 02/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) concentrations and stable isotopes along with other trace metals were examined in environmental samples from Ecuador and Peru's shared Puyango-Tumbes River in order to determine the extent to which artisanal- and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) in Portovelo-Zaruma, Ecuador contributes to Hg pollution in the downstream aquatic ecosystem. Prior studies investigated the relationship between ASGM activities and downstream Hg pollution relying primarily on Hg concentration data. In this study, Hg isotopes revealed an isotopically heavy Hg signature with negligible mass independent fractionation (MIF) in downstream sediments, which was consistent with the signature observed in the ASGM source endmember. This signature was traced as far as ∼120 km downstream of Portovelo-Zaruma, demonstrating that Hg stable isotopes can be used as a tool to fingerprint and trace sources of Hg over vast distances in freshwater environments. The success of Hg isotopes as a source tracer in fresh waters is largely due to the particle-reactive nature of Hg. Furthermore, the magnitude and extent of downstream Hg, lead, copper and zinc contamination coupled with the Hg isotopes suggest that it is unlikely that the smaller artisanal-scale activities, which do not use cyanidation, are responsible for the pollution. More likely it is the scale of ores processed and the cyanide leaching, which can release other metals and enhance Hg transport, used during small-scale gold mining that is responsible. Thus, although artisanal- and small-scale gold mining occur in tandem in Portovelo-Zaruma, a distinction should be made between these two activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Schudel
- University of Toronto, Department of Earth Sciences, 22 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B1, Canada
| | - Rebecca Adler Miserendino
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205-2103, USA; University of British Columbia, Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering, Vancouver, BC, V6T IZ4, Canada
| | - Marcello M Veiga
- University of British Columbia, Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering, Vancouver, BC, V6T IZ4, Canada
| | - P Colon Velasquez-López
- Universidad Tecnica de Machala, Avenida Paquisha Km 5,5 via Pasaje-Machala, Machala, El Oro, Ecuador
| | - Peter S J Lees
- Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Department of Environmental Health and Engineering, 615 N. Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205-2103, USA
| | - Sean Winland-Gaetz
- University of Toronto, Department of Earth Sciences, 22 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B1, Canada
| | - Jean Remy Davée Guimarães
- Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Inst. de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Bloco G, CCS, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, 21949-902, Brazil
| | - Bridget A Bergquist
- University of Toronto, Department of Earth Sciences, 22 Russell Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3B1, Canada.
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17
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Moreno-Brush M, Portillo A, Brändel SD, Storch I, Tschapka M, Biester H. Mercury concentrations in bats (Chiroptera) from a gold mining area in the Peruvian Amazon. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2018; 27:45-54. [PMID: 29101638 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-017-1869-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In the southeastern Peruvian Amazon, artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM) is estimated to have released up to 300 tonnes of mercury (Hg) to the environment between 1995 and 2007 alone, and is claimed to be responsible for Hg concentrations above international thresholds for aquatic wildlife species. Here, we examined whether Hg concentrations in bat populations are potentially related to regional ASGM-Hg releases. We determined Hg concentrations in the fur of bats collected at three different distances from the major ASGM areas in Peru. Our findings from 204 individuals of 32 species indicate that Hg concentrations in bat fur mainly resulted from differences in feeding habits, because Hg concentrations were significantly higher in omnivorous bats than in frugivorous bats. At least in two species, populations living in ASGM-affected sites harbored higher Hg concentrations than did populations in unaffected sites. Because Hg concentrations reflect Hg dietary exposure, Hg emissions from amalgam roasting sites appear to deposit locally and enter the terrestrial food web. Although our study demonstrates that ASGM activities (and Hg point sources) increase Hg exposure in wildlife, the overall Hg concentrations reported here are relatively low. The measured Hg concentrations were below the toxicity threshold at which adverse neurological effects have been reported in rodents and mink (>10 µg g-1), and were in the range of Hg concentrations in the fur of bats from nonpoint source affected sites in other latitudes. This study emphasizes the importance of considering feeding habits when evaluating Hg concentrations in bats and other vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Moreno-Brush
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
- Institut für Geoökologie, Abt. Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19c, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Alejandro Portillo
- Museo de Historia Natural, Universidad Nacional San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Plaza de armas S/N (Paraninfo Universitario), Cusco, Peru.
| | - Stefan Dominik Brändel
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Luis Clement Ave., Bldg. 401 Tupper, Balboa Ancon, Panama, Panama
| | - Ilse Storch
- Chair of Wildlife Ecology and Management, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Marco Tschapka
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89081, Ulm, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Luis Clement Ave., Bldg. 401 Tupper, Balboa Ancon, Panama, Panama
| | - Harald Biester
- Institut für Geoökologie, Abt. Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19c, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
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18
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Moreno-Brush M, Rydberg J, Gamboa N, Storch I, Biester H. Is mercury from small-scale gold mining prevalent in the southeastern Peruvian Amazon? ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 218:150-159. [PMID: 27552048 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.08.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2016] [Revised: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/11/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
There is an ongoing debate on the fate of mercury (Hg) in areas affected by artisanal and small-scale gold mining (ASGM). Over the last 30 years, ASGM has released 69 tons of Hg into the southeastern Peruvian Amazon. To investigate the role of suspended matter and hydrological factors on the fate of ASGM-Hg, we analysed riverbank sediments and suspended matter along the partially ASGM-affected Malinowski-Tambopata river system and examined Hg accumulation in fish. In addition, local impacts of atmospheric Hg emissions on aquatic systems were assessed by analysing a sediment core from an oxbow lake. Hg concentrations in riverbank sediments are lower (20-53 ng g-1) than in suspended matter (∼400-4000 ng g-1) due to differences in particle size. Elevated Hg concentrations in suspended matter from ASGM-affected river sections (∼1400 vs. ∼30-120 ng L-1 in unaffected sections) are mainly driven by the increased amount of suspended matter rather than increased Hg concentrations in the suspended matter. The oxbow lake sediment record shows low Hg concentrations (64-86 ng g-1) without evidence of any ASGM-related increase in atmospheric Hg input. Hg flux variations are mostly an effect of variations in sediment accumulation rates. Moreover, only 5% of the analysed fish (only piscivores) exceed WHO recommendations for human consumption (500 ng g-1). Our findings show that ASGM-affected river sections in the Malinowski-Tambopata system do not exhibit increased Hg accumulation, indicating that the released Hg is either retained at the spill site or transported to areas farther away from the ASGM areas. We suspect that the fate of ASGM-Hg in such tropical rivers is mainly linked to transport associated with the suspended matter, especially during high water situations. We assume that our findings are typical for ASGM-affected areas in tropical regions and could explain why aquatic systems in such ASGM regions often show comparatively modest enrichment in Hg levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Moreno-Brush
- Institut für Geoökologie, AG Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19c, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany; Professur für Wildtierökologie und Wildtiermanagement, Universität Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Johan Rydberg
- Institut für Geoökologie, AG Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19c, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Nadia Gamboa
- Departamento Académico de Ciencias, Sección Química; GRIDES-PUCP, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú - PUCP, Av. Universitaria 1801, San Miguel, Lima 32, Peru
| | - Ilse Storch
- Professur für Wildtierökologie und Wildtiermanagement, Universität Freiburg, Tennenbacherstr. 4, 79106, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Harald Biester
- Institut für Geoökologie, AG Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Langer Kamp 19c, 38106, Braunschweig, Germany
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19
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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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Beal SA, Osterberg EC, Zdanowicz CM, Fisher DA. Ice Core Perspective on Mercury Pollution during the Past 600 Years. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:7641-7647. [PMID: 26011603 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b01033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Past emissions of the toxic metal mercury (Hg) persist in the global environment, yet these emissions remain poorly constrained by existing data. Ice cores are high-resolution archives of atmospheric deposition that may provide crucial insight into past atmospheric Hg levels during recent and historical time. Here we present a record of total Hg (HgT) in an ice core from the pristine summit plateau (5340 m asl) of Mount Logan, Yukon, Canada, representing atmospheric deposition from AD 1410 to 1998. The Colonial Period (∼1603-1850) and North American "Gold Rush" (1850-1900) represent minor fractions (8% and 14%, respectively) of total anthropogenic Hg deposition in the record, with the majority (78%) occurring during the 20th Century. A period of maximum HgT fluxes from 1940 to 1975 coincides with estimates of enhanced anthropogenic Hg emissions from commercial sources, as well as with industrial emissions of other toxic metals. Rapid declines in HgT fluxes following peaks during the Gold Rush and the mid-20th Century indicate that atmospheric Hg deposition responds quickly to reductions in emissions. Increasing HgT fluxes from 1993 until the youngest samples in 1998 may reflect the resurgence of Hg emissions from unregulated coal burning and small-scale gold mining.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Beal
- †Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, United States
| | - Erich C Osterberg
- †Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755, United States
| | | | - David A Fisher
- §Department of Earth Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
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Amos HM, Sonke JE, Obrist D, Robins N, Hagan N, Horowitz HM, Mason RP, Witt M, Hedgecock IM, Corbitt ES, Sunderland EM. Observational and modeling constraints on global anthropogenic enrichment of mercury. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2015; 49:4036-47. [PMID: 25750991 DOI: 10.1021/es5058665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Centuries of anthropogenic releases have resulted in a global legacy of mercury (Hg) contamination. Here we use a global model to quantify the impact of uncertainty in Hg atmospheric emissions and cycling on anthropogenic enrichment and discuss implications for future Hg levels. The plausibility of sensitivity simulations is evaluated against multiple independent lines of observation, including natural archives and direct measurements of present-day environmental Hg concentrations. It has been previously reported that pre-industrial enrichment recorded in sediment and peat disagree by more than a factor of 10. We find this difference is largely erroneous and caused by comparing peat and sediment against different reference time periods. After correcting this inconsistency, median enrichment in Hg accumulation since pre-industrial 1760 to 1880 is a factor of 4.3 for peat and 3.0 for sediment. Pre-industrial accumulation in peat and sediment is a factor of ∼ 5 greater than the precolonial era (3000 BC to 1550 AD). Model scenarios that omit atmospheric emissions of Hg from early mining are inconsistent with observational constraints on the present-day atmospheric, oceanic, and soil Hg reservoirs, as well as the magnitude of enrichment in archives. Future reductions in anthropogenic emissions will initiate a decline in atmospheric concentrations within 1 year, but stabilization of subsurface and deep ocean Hg levels requires aggressive controls. These findings are robust to the ranges of uncertainty in past emissions and Hg cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M Amos
- †Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Jeroen E Sonke
- ‡Laboratoire Géosciences Environnement Toulouse, Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS-IRD-Université Paul Sabatier, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Daniel Obrist
- §Desert Research Institute, Reno, Nevada 89512, United States
| | - Nicholas Robins
- ∥Department of History, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695, United States
| | - Nicole Hagan
- ⊥Environmental Health Council, Durham, North Carolina 27701, United States
| | - Hannah M Horowitz
- #Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Robert P Mason
- ∇Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, Groton, Connecticut 06340, United States
| | - Melanie Witt
- ○Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, United Kingdom
| | - Ian M Hedgecock
- ◆Rende Division, CNR-Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, 87036 Rende, Italy
| | - Elizabeth S Corbitt
- #Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
| | - Elsie M Sunderland
- †Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- ¶School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United States
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Cooke CA, Bindler R. Lake Sediment Records of Preindustrial Metal Pollution. ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINANTS 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-9541-8_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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Beal SA, Kelly MA, Stroup JS, Jackson BP, Lowell TV, Tapia PM. Natural and anthropogenic variations in atmospheric mercury deposition during the Holocene near Quelccaya Ice Cap, Peru. GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES 2014; 28:437-450. [PMID: 30760944 PMCID: PMC6370314 DOI: 10.1002/2013gb004780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that is transported globally through the atmosphere. The emission of Hg from mineral reservoirs and subsequent recycling in surface reservoirs (i.e., soil/biomass, ocean, and atmosphere) are fundamental to the modern global Hg cycle, yet past emissions from anthropogenic and natural sources are not fully constrained. We use a sediment core from Yanacocha, a headwater lake in southeastern Peru, to study the anthropogenic and natural controls on atmospheric Hg deposition during the Holocene. From 12.3 to 3.5 ka, Hg fluxes in the record are relatively constant (mean ± 1σ: 1.4 ± 0.6 μg m-2 a-1, n = 189). Past Hg deposition does not correlate with changes in regional temperature and precipitation, inferred from nearby paleoclimate records, or with most large volcanic events that occurred regionally, in the Andean Central Volcanic Zone (~300-400 km from Yanacocha), and globally. In B.C. 1450 (3.4 ka), Hg fluxes abruptly increased and reached the Holocene-maximum flux (6.7 μg m-2 a-1) in B.C. 1200, concurrent with a ~100-year peak in Fe and chalcophile metals (As, Ag, Tl) and the presence of framboidal pyrite. Continuously elevated Hg fluxes from B.C. 1200-500 suggest a protracted mining-dust source near Yanacocha that is identical in timing to documented pre-Incan cinnabar mining in central Peru. During Incan and Colonial time (A.D. 1450-1650), Hg deposition remains elevated relative to background levels but lower relative to other Hg records from sediment cores in central Peru, indicating a limited spatial extent of preindustrial Hg emissions. Hg fluxes from A.D. 1980 to 2011 (4.0 ± 1.0 μg m-2 a-1, n = 5) are 3.0 ± 1.5 times greater than pre-anthropogenic fluxes and are similar to modern fluxes documented in remote lakes around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel A Beal
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Meredith A Kelly
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Justin S Stroup
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Brian P Jackson
- Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
| | - Thomas V Lowell
- Department of Geology, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Pedro M Tapia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
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