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Migaszewski ZM, Gałuszka A, Migaszewski A. Legacy of anthropogenic activity recorded in sediments by microtechnofossils and chemical markers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 930:172800. [PMID: 38679086 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
This overview presents comparison of common microtechnofossils with other geochemical markers that may have the great potential to be the anthropogenic signatures for recent and future sediment strata. The novel man-made products encompass spherical and spheroidal fly-ash particulates, microplastics, synthetic crystals, and more recently examined glass microspheres. Due to their low specific gravity and small size varying from a tiny fraction of millimeter to approximately 5 mm, microtechnofossils may be transported over a long distance from their primary or secondary sources by water and wind. Of these technogenic materials, among the most resistant to physical and chemical degradation are glass microbeads, and additionally synthetic crystals and some types of fly-ash particulates derived mostly from coal/oil combustion, metal ore smelting operations and cement/lime manufacturing. Nonetheless, synthetic glass microspheres have found exponentially growing applications as reflective ingredients in traffic-related paints and building facades, as well as in a variety of applications mostly as low-density fillers of many materials. In contrast to anthropogenic fly-ash and microplastic particles, glass microspheres resemble in many respects common detrital quartz grains. Moreover, like quartz, they are resistant to depositional and diagenetic processes, which is a prerequisite for future geologic archives preserving anthropogenic signals. These and other characteristics make glass microspheres a more widely used product in various fields thus assigning them to a new emerging and globally spreading chronostratigraphic marker of human-impacted sediments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zdzisław M Migaszewski
- Institute of Chemistry, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, 7 Uniwersytecka St., 25-406 Kielce, Poland.
| | - Agnieszka Gałuszka
- Institute of Chemistry, Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, 7 Uniwersytecka St., 25-406 Kielce, Poland
| | - Andrzej Migaszewski
- Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Geomatics and Renewable Energy, Kielce University of Technology, 7 Domaszowska St., 25-314 Kielce, Poland
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2
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Senez-Mello TM, Martins MVA, de Lima Ferreira PA, Figueira R, Castelo WFL, Damasceno FL, Hohenegger J, Pereira E, Duleba W, Gerardes MC. Assessment of anthropogenic pollution in Guanabara Bay (SE Brazil) through biogeochemical data and stable isotope mixing models. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:32972-32997. [PMID: 38671267 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-33144-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
This work intends to identify pollution sources along the margins of Guanabara Bay (GB; SE Brazil) through a multiproxy approach and Bayesian stable isotopic mixture model (BSIMM). For this purpose, 33 surface sediment samples were collected and analyzed for granulometry, geochemistry (heavy metals, total organic carbon-TOC, stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen-δ13C and δ15N, Rock-Eval pyrolysis parameters-REPP), and physicochemical parameters. Metal concentrations (E) dissolved in water (EW), adsorbed by organic matter (EOM) and by Mn hydroxides (EMn), and total extracted concentrations (ET) were analyzed. Sampling was conducted in 2018 after an oil spill from Reduc Oil Refinery. Potential Ecological risk index (PERI), based on metals, classified 85% of the analyzed stations as having moderate to considerable ecological risk. The metals with the potential to cause the highest ecological risk were CdW, CdOM, PbOM, and HgOM. The combination of BSIMM and REPP data was an effective proxy for oil spill detection by indicating the presence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Relatively high TOC contents suggested that the analyzed stations are eutrophicated environments. BSIMM discriminated three groups of stations with different sources of organic matter (OM), endorsing the result previously shown by the cluster analysis: (A) Niterói region, Botafogo marina, Glória marina, Fiscal and Fundão islands with diffuse sources of OM, including marine phytoplankton and material of continental origin from highly polluted rivers and domestic sewage; (B) region near Fundão and Governador islands and Mangue Channel outlet with OM (≃70%) supplied by highly polluted streams and a small contribution of PAHs; (C) Duque de Caxias and Botafogo-Urca inlet with significant contributions of PAHs, materials from C-3 plants and rivers polluted by urban sewage. Results of linear regressions in conjunction with BSIMM indicate that HgMn and PbOM mainly affect Group A's stations. Although the eastern margin of GB (Niterói; Group A) showed greater oceanic interaction than the other groups, it presented substantial concentrations of metals, potentially harmful (i.e., Hg and Pb) to marine biota and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaise Machado Senez-Mello
- Faculdade de Geologia (FGEL), Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós Graduação Em Dinâmica Dos Oceanos E da Terra, Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
| | - Maria Virgínia Alves Martins
- Faculdade de Geologia (FGEL), Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Geobiosciências, Geoengenharia e Geotecnologias (GeoBioTec), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - Rubens Figueira
- Geobiosciências, Geoengenharia e Geotecnologias (GeoBioTec), Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - Fabrício Leandro Damasceno
- Faculdade de Geologia (FGEL), Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Johann Hohenegger
- Institut Fur Palaontologie, Universitat Wien, Vienna, Althanstrasse, Austria
| | - Egberto Pereira
- Faculdade de Geologia (FGEL), Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Wânia Duleba
- Escola de Artes, Universidade de São Paulo, Ciências E Humanidades, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Mauro Cesar Gerardes
- Faculdade de Geologia (FGEL), Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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McConnell JR, Chellman NJ, Wensman SM, Plach A, Stanish C, Santibáñez PA, Brugger SO, Eckhardt S, Freitag J, Kipfstuhl S, Stohl A. Hemispheric-scale heavy metal pollution from South American and Australian mining and metallurgy during the Common Era. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 912:169431. [PMID: 38142989 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Records from polar and alpine ice reflect past changes in background and industrial toxic heavy metal emissions. While Northern Hemisphere records have been used to evaluate environmental effects and linkages to historical events such as foreign conquests, plagues, economic downturns, and technological developments during the past three millennia, little is known about the magnitude and environmental effects of such emissions in the Southern Hemisphere or their historical linkages, especially prior to late 19th century industrialization. Here we used detailed measurements of the toxic heavy metals lead, cadmium, and thallium, as well as non-toxic bismuth, cerium, and sulfur in an array of five East Antarctic ice cores to investigate hemispheric-scale pollution during the Common Era. While thallium showed no anthropogenic increases, the other three metals increased by orders of magnitude in recent centuries after accounting for crustal and volcanic components. These first detailed records indicate that East Antarctic lead pollution started in the 13th century coincident with Late Intermediate Period metallurgy in the Andes and was pervasive during the Spanish Colonial period in parallel with large-scale exploitation of Andean silver and other ore deposits. Lead isotopic variations suggest that 19th-century increases in lead, cadmium, and bismuth resulted from Australian lead and Bolivian tin mining emissions, with 20th century pollution largely the result of the latter. As in the Northern Hemisphere, variations in heavy metal pollution coincided with plagues, cultural and technological developments, as well as global economic and political events including the Great Depression and the World Wars. Estimated atmospheric heavy metal emissions from Spanish Colonial-era mining and smelting during the late 16th and early 17th century were comparable to estimated European emissions during the 1st-century apex of the Roman Empire, with atmospheric model simulations suggesting hemispheric-scale toxic heavy metal pollution during the past five centuries as a result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R McConnell
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA.
| | - Nathan J Chellman
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA
| | - Sophia M Wensman
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA
| | - Andreas Plach
- Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Charles Stanish
- Institute for the Advanced Study of Culture and the Environment, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620, USA
| | - Pamela A Santibáñez
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA
| | - Sandra O Brugger
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512, USA
| | - Sabine Eckhardt
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research, N-2027 Kjeller, Norway
| | - Johannes Freitag
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Sepp Kipfstuhl
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Andreas Stohl
- Department of Meteorology and Geophysics, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Barreira J, Araújo DF, Knoery J, Briant N, Machado W, Grouhel-Pellouin A. The French Mussel Watch Program reveals the attenuation of coastal lead contamination over four decades. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN 2024; 199:115975. [PMID: 38160604 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115975] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
The mid-20th century industrial peak caused severe global lead (Pb) marine contamination. Although Europe initiated Pb emission reduction regulations in the 1980s, the short- and long-term impacts remain unclear. This study investigates the evolution of Pb contamination on the French coast through elemental and isotope analysis in oysters and mussels from the French "Mussel Watch" Program. Observations at 114 monitoring stations over four decades have shown decreasing Pb levels in these bivalve mollusks. In 1988, 95 % exceeded the background reference values; this level had dropped to 39 % by 2021. The Pb isotope ratios in bivalves from eight target sites revealed a reduction in bioaccumulated anthropogenic Pb, albeit without complete elimination. The long residence time of legacy Pb combined with inputs from diffuse urban sources likely explains the persistent presence of anthropogenic Pb on the French coast. This study endorses the importance of continuous biomonitoring to evaluate environmental regulations and policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Barreira
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Geoquímica, Campus do Valonguinho, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Daniel F Araújo
- Ifremer, CCEM - Contamination Chimique des Ecosystèmes Marins, F-44000 Centre Atlantique, Nantes, France.
| | - Joël Knoery
- Ifremer, CCEM - Contamination Chimique des Ecosystèmes Marins, F-44000 Centre Atlantique, Nantes, France
| | - Nicolas Briant
- Ifremer, CCEM - Contamination Chimique des Ecosystèmes Marins, F-44000 Centre Atlantique, Nantes, France
| | - Wilson Machado
- Universidade Federal Fluminense, Departamento de Geoquímica, Campus do Valonguinho, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Anne Grouhel-Pellouin
- Ifremer, CCEM - Contamination Chimique des Ecosystèmes Marins, F-44000 Centre Atlantique, Nantes, France
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Jiang H, Gao Y, Chen X, Wang B, Xu Z, Li Y, Sun X, Liu K, Divsalar A, Cheung E, Jiang L, Hong Y, Ding X. Single-Cell Study Unveils Lead Lifespan in Blood Cell Populations Follows a Universal Lognormal Distribution with Individual Skewness. Anal Chem 2024; 96:668-675. [PMID: 38176010 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Lead is a widespread environmental hazard that can adversely affect multiple biological functions. Blood cells are the initial targets that face lead exposure. However, a systematic assessment of lead dynamics in blood cells at single-cell resolution is still absent. Herein, C57BL/6 mice were fed with lead-contaminated food. Peripheral blood was harvested at different days. Extracted red blood cells and leukocytes were stained with 19 metal-conjugated antibodies and analyzed by mass cytometry. We quantified the time-lapse lead levels in 12 major blood cell subpopulations and established the distribution of lead heterogeneity. Our results show that the lead levels in all major blood cell subtypes follow lognormal distributions but with distinctively individual skewness. The lognormal distribution suggests a multiplicative accumulation of lead with stochastic turnover of cells, which allows us to estimate the lead lifespan of different blood cell populations by calculating the distribution skewness. These findings suggest that lead accumulation by single blood cells follows a stochastic multiplicative process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Jiang
- Nantong First People's Hospital and Nantong Hospital of Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Nantong226006, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200030, P.R. China
| | - Yingying Gao
- Nantong First People's Hospital and Nantong Hospital of Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Nantong226006, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200030, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoxiang Chen
- Nantong First People's Hospital and Nantong Hospital of Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Nantong226006, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200030, P.R. China
| | - Boqian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200030, P.R. China
| | - Zhixiao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200030, P.R. China
| | - Yiyang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200030, P.R. China
| | - Xinyi Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200030, P.R. China
| | - Kun Liu
- Department of Cardiology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai200080, P.R. China
| | - Adeleh Divsalar
- Department of Cell & Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kharazmi University, Tehran15719-14911, Iran
| | - Edwin Cheung
- Cancer Centre, Centre for Precision Medicine Research and Training, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa999078, Macau SAR
| | - Lai Jiang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Xinhua Hospital, School of Medicine and School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200092, China
| | - Yifan Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200030, P.R. China
- Institute of Molecular Physiology, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen518132, P.R. China
| | - Xianting Ding
- Nantong First People's Hospital and Nantong Hospital of Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Nantong226006, P.R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Institute for Personalized Medicine, School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai200030, P.R. China
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6
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Horn SA, Dasgupta PK. The Air Quality Index (AQI) in historical and analytical perspective a tutorial review. Talanta 2024; 267:125260. [PMID: 37852126 DOI: 10.1016/j.talanta.2023.125260] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The Air Quality Index (AQI), developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), has been providing the public with crucial information regarding the status of contamination of the atmosphere for the past 45 years. Prior to introduction of the AQI, only a handful of metropolitan areas reported on air quality, and each region decided on its own metric. The inception of a single AQI helped homogenize the air quality metrics across the nation and indeed served as an important future template for other governmental and regulatory agencies across the world. The formulators had the foresight to recognize that our understanding of air pollution and its effects may change over time, which are likely to change regulatory limits. They used a dynamic framework to define the AQI, such that the broad definition or principle does not need to change with every change in regulatory limits or policy, and the fundamental goal of alerting the public to deleterious air quality is not affected. The establishment of the AQI increased public awareness of the importance of clean air and has helped muster support for air quality and emission regulations. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) set forth by the USEPA provides acceptable levels of criteria pollutants - namely carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen dioxide, ozone, particulate matter, and sulfur dioxide. A comparison of the actual levels, as compared to the regulatory limits (since the cessation of leaded gasoline, lead is no longer included in the index), are used as the basis for the AQI. As the regulatory limits change, so does the exact evaluation of the AQI, making it a living index. In this paper, we provide a historical overview of the Air Quality Index, the Federal Reference Methods (FRMs) vs. Federal Equivalent Methods (FEMs) for measuring them, and as an illustrative example, we discuss the air quality for Dallas-Ft. Worth, currently the fourth most populous metropolitan region in the United States, vis-a-vis the reported AQI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seth A Horn
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019-0065, USA.
| | - Purnendu K Dasgupta
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, 76019-0065, USA.
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Guillevic F, Arnaud F, Rossi M, Poulenard J, Sabatier P, Develle AL, Quantin C, Monvoisin G. The legacy of metallurgical atmospheric contamination in a mountainous catchment: A delayed response of Pb contamination. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 895:165127. [PMID: 37379921 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023]
Abstract
Metal-rich fumes emitted during ore smelting contribute to widespread anthropogenic contamination. Environmental archives (such as lake sediments) record fallouts deposited on lake and terrestrial surfaces during ancient mining and smelting activities. However, very few is known about the potential buffering effect of soils upon which metal falls out, prior to be released through runoff and or/erosion, hence leading to pervasive contamination fluxes long after the ceasing of metallurgical activities. Here we aim at assessing this long-term remobilisation in a mountainous catchment area. Lake sediments and soils were collected 7 km upward a 200-year-old historic mine. The PbAg mine of Peisey-Nancroix was operated between the 17th and the 19th centuries with a documented smelting period of 80 years. In lake sediments, the total Pb content varies from 29 mg.kg-1 prior smelting to 148 mg.kg-1 during ore smelting. Pb isotopes in lake sediments and soils provide evidence of anthropogenic Pb from the local ore (206Pb/207Pb = 1.173; 208Pb/206Pb = 2.094) during and after smelting, suggesting anthropogenic Pb remobilisation for 200 years. The accumulation rates of anthropogenic Pb calculated in lake sediments after the smelting period confirm such a remobilisation. Despite a decrease in this accumulation rate through time, soils still contain significant stocks of anthropogenic Pb (54-89 % of PbANTH). The distribution of present-day anthropogenic Pb in the catchment area depends mainly on topographic characteristics. Coupling lake sediments and soils investigations is thus necessary to constrain the long-term persistence and remobilisation of a diffuse contamination related to mining activities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabien Arnaud
- Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, CNRS, EDYTEM, F-73000 Chambéry, France
| | - Magali Rossi
- Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, CNRS, EDYTEM, F-73000 Chambéry, France
| | - Jérôme Poulenard
- Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, CNRS, EDYTEM, F-73000 Chambéry, France
| | - Pierre Sabatier
- Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, CNRS, EDYTEM, F-73000 Chambéry, France
| | - Anne-Lise Develle
- Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, CNRS, EDYTEM, F-73000 Chambéry, France
| | - Cécile Quantin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, GEOPS, F-91405 Orsay, France
| | - Gaël Monvoisin
- Université Paris-Saclay, CNRS, GEOPS, F-91405 Orsay, France
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Zheng K, Li Y, Wang N, Zhou Y, Li Z. Pollution revealed by stable lead isotopes in recent snow from the northern and central Tibetan Plateau. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 263:115296. [PMID: 37517310 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115296] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) isotopes are less fractionated than those from different sources, and thus were used to trace the sources of Pb in the environment. To investigate the sources of Pb in the atmosphere of the Tibetan Plateau, stable Pb isotopes (206Pb, 207Pb and 208Pb) in acidified snow pit samples collected from five glaciers (i.e., Qiyi-QY, Meikuang-MK, Yuzhufeng-YZF, Hariqin-HRQ and Xiaodongkemadi-XDKMD) in May 2016 of the northern and central Tibetan Plateau were measured. The results showed narrow ranges of 1.158-1.187 for 206Pb/207Pb and 2.450-2.489 for 208Pb/207Pb respectively. The 206Pb/207Pb ratios in all samples were obviously lower than the environmental background value of 1.196, indicating the primary contributions of anthropogenic sources. At least 60% of Pb was contributed by various human activities, which was supported by the Pb isotopes in the snow pit samples from the QY, MK, YZF, HRQ and XDKMD glaciers. By comparing Pb isotope data, we found that the primary anthropogenic sources are coal combustion, mining and smelting activities in northwestern China and mixed emissions from cities located in western China and close to the glaciers. These sources contributed to the Pb in the northern glaciers (QY and MK) in particular. Coal combustion in India probably contributes to the central glaciers (HRQ and XDKMD). Another potential source could be parts of central Asia (e.g., Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan) through long range transport. The above potential source areas of contaminants were traced further by the air mass back-trajectory tracing method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kui Zheng
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Xi'an 710127, China; College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China
| | - Yuefang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Ninglian Wang
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, Xi'an 710127, China; College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China; Institute of Earth Surface System and Hazards, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China; State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibet Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Youhao Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
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Zhou L, Wu F, Meng Y, Byrne P, Ghomshei M, Abbaspour KC. Modeling transport and fate of heavy metals at the watershed scale: State-of-the-art and future directions. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 878:163087. [PMID: 36996980 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
A predictive understanding of the source-specific (e.g., point and diffuse sources) land-to-river heavy metal (HM) loads and HM dynamics in rivers is essential for mitigating river pollution and developing effective river basin management strategies. Developing such strategies requires adequate monitoring and comprehensive models based on a solid scientific understanding of the watershed system. However, a comprehensive review of existing studies on the watershed-scale HM fate and transport modeling is lacking. In this review, we synthesize the recent developments in the current generation of watershed-scale HM models, which cover a wide range of functionalities, capabilities, and spatial and temporal scales (resolutions). Existing models, constructed at various levels of complexity, have their strengths and weaknesses in supporting diverse intended uses. Additionally, current challenges in the application of watershed HM modeling are covered, including the representation of in-stream processes, organic matter/carbon dynamics and mitigation practices, the issues of model calibration and uncertainty analysis, and the balance between model complexity and available data. Finally, we outline future research requirements regarding modeling, strategic monitoring, and their combined use to enhance model capabilities. In particular, we envisage a flexible framework for future watershed-scale HM models with varying degrees of complexity to accommodate the available data and specific applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingfeng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Fengchang Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing 100012, China.
| | - Yaobin Meng
- School of National Safety and Emergency Management, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Patrick Byrne
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK
| | - Mory Ghomshei
- Department of Mining and Mineral Resources Engineering, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Canada
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10
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Beyer DE, Varga M, Fazekas P, Pánczél JK. Distribution of Pb, Sr, and U isotopic signature and multielement composition of sediment in Lake Balaton (Hungary) at a sediment trap deep dredged 40 years ago near Balatongyörök-search for routes of recent pollution. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:42311-42326. [PMID: 36646980 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-25120-z] [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: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
We studied the Pb, Sr, and U isotopic composition and the concentration of toxic metal elements in sediment core samples collected in Lake Balaton at a sediment trap that was deep dredged in 1979, to analyze their changes in the last 40 years. Pb isotopic composition profiles of cores taken from the sediment trap showed different 206Pb/207Pb ratios ranging from 1.206 ± 0.002 at the bottom of the core (phase 1) compared to 1.185 ± 0.002 at the top of the core (phase 2). Phase 2 is the fraction reflecting isotopic signatures of the latest 40 years. At 80-100-cm depth, a transition zone was observed. Pb concentration together with Zn, Sb, Cu, Cd, and Fe showed elevated, 2-4 times higher values in the top phase of the sediment. The calculated Pb isotopic composition of pollutant Pb fraction was 1.177 ± 0.005 in the case of the 206Pb/207Pb and 2.456 ± 0.004 for 208Pb/207Pb, which shows good agreement with literature data for lead ores in Poland and Germany, but it is distinct from literature data for leaded fuel concerning Middle and Eastern Europe. The marked difference in the Pb signatures of phases enabled the construction of a sediment deposition rate map. U and Mo showed a characteristic concentration peak positioned exactly at the depth of the Pb signature transition. The isotopic signature of U based on 234U and 235U also showed a similar pattern. We suggest that the deposition of U and Mo can be related to cyanobacterial blooms in Lake Balaton in the late 1970s and early1980s.
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Virginia Alves Martins M, Cazelli L, Yhasnara M, da CristineSilva L, Barros Saibro M, Bobco FER, Rubio B, Ferreira B, Castelo WFL, Santos JF, Ribeiro S, Frontalini F, Martínez-Colón M, Pereira E, Antonioli L, Geraldes M, Rocha F, Sousa SHME, Manuel Alveirinho Dias J. Factors driving sediment compositional change in the distal area of the Ria de Vigo (NW Spain): oceanographic processes vs. paleopollution. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2022; 29:69652-69679. [PMID: 35576033 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-022-20607-1] [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: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
We analyze potential Late Holocene metal contamination along a sediment core collected in the distal zone of Ria de Vigo (North Spain). Statistical treatment of the dataset based on a multiproxy approach enabled us to identify and disentangle factors influencing the depositional processes and the preservation of the records of this activity in the area over the last ≈3000 years BP. Some layers of the analyzed core have significant enrichment in Cu and a moderate enrichment in Ag, Mo, As, Sb, S, Zn, Ni, Sn, Cd, Cr, Co, Pb, and Li. The enrichment of these elements in some layers of this core may be related to mining activities that have taken place since classical times in the region. Successive phases of pollution were identified along the core KSGX24 related to the Late Bronze Age (≈3000-2450 years BP), Iron Age (≈2450-1850 years BP), Roman times (≈1850-1550 years BP), Middle Ages (≈1250-500 years BP), and industrial and modern (≈250-0 years BP) anthropic activities. The protection of the Cies Islands, the erosive and transport capacity of the rivers in the region, oscillations of the oceanographic and climatic regime, atmospheric contamination, and diagenetic sedimentary processes might have contributed to the accumulation and preservation of this record in the distal region of the Ria de Vigo. The studied core shows that the industrial and preindustrial anthropic impacts caused an environmental liability and contributed to the presence of moderate to heavy pollution of various metals in surface and subsurface sediment layers in the distal sector of the Ria de Vigo, which could be a hazard to biota.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Virginia Alves Martins
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil.
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Lucas Cazelli
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Missilene Yhasnara
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Layla da CristineSilva
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Murilo Barros Saibro
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Fabia Emanuela Rafaloski Bobco
- Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Instituto de Geociências (Igeo) Av. Athos da Silveira Ramos, Bloco G, Cidade. Universitária, Ilha Do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 274, Brazil
| | - Belen Rubio
- Departamento de Xeociencias Mariñas E Ordenación Do Territorio, Universidade de Vigo, Edificio de Ciencias Experimentais Campus de Vigo, 36310, Vigo, Spain
| | - Bruna Ferreira
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Wellen Fernanda Louzada Castelo
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - José Francisco Santos
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Sara Ribeiro
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Fabrizio Frontalini
- Department of Pure and Applied Sciences, Università Degli Studi Di Urbino "Carlo Bo", 61029, Urbino, Italy
| | - Michael Martínez-Colón
- School of the Environment, FSH Science Research Center, Florida A and M University, 1515 South MLK Blvd, Tallahassee, FLFL USA, 32307, USA
| | - Egberto Pereira
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Luzia Antonioli
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Mauro Geraldes
- Faculdade de Geologia, Universidade Do Estado Do Rio de Janeiro, UERJ, Av. São Francisco Xavier, 24, sala 2020A, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20550-013, Brazil
| | - Fernando Rocha
- GeoBioTec, Departamento de Geociências, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193, Aveiro, Portugal
| | | | - João Manuel Alveirinho Dias
- Centro de Investigação Marinha E Ambiental (CIMA), Universidade Do Algarve, Campus de Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
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Kaše V, Heřmánková P, Sobotková A. Division of labor, specialization and diversity in the ancient Roman cities: A quantitative approach to Latin epigraphy. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269869. [PMID: 35709226 PMCID: PMC9202948 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent empirical studies on the division of labor in modern cities indicate a complex web of relationships between sectoral specialization of cities and their productivity on one hand and sectoral diversification and resilience on the other. Emerging scholarly consensus suggests that ancient urbanism has more in common with modern urban development than previously thought. We explore whether modern trends in urban division of labor apply to the cities of the Western Roman Empire from the first century BCE to the fourth century CE. We analyze occupational data extracted from a large body of Latin epigraphic evidence by computer-assisted text-mining, subsequently mapped onto a dataset of ancient Roman cities. We detect a higher frequency of occupation terms on inscriptions from cities led by Rome than from rural areas and identify an accumulation of tertiary sector occupations in large cities. The temporal dimension of epigraphic data allows us to study aspects of the division of labor diachronically and to detect trends in the data in a four centuries-long period of Roman imperial history. Our analyses reveal an overall decrease in the frequency of occupational terms between the first half and second half of the third century CE; the maximum frequency of occupational terms shifts over time from large cities to medium and small towns, and finally, rural areas. Our results regarding the specialization and diversity of cities and their respective impact on productivity and resilience remain inconclusive, possibly as a result of the socio-economic bias of Latin inscriptions and insufficient representativeness of the data. Yet, we believe that our formalized approach to the research problem opens up new avenues for research, both in respect to the economic history of the Roman Empire and to the current trends in the science of cities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vojtěch Kaše
- Department of Philosophy, University of West Bohemia, Plzeň, Czech Republic
- Department of History and Classical Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
- * E-mail:
| | - Petra Heřmánková
- Department of History and Classical Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Adéla Sobotková
- Department of History and Classical Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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13
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Cooke CA, Curtis JH, Kenney WF, Drevnick P, Siegel PE. Caribbean Lead and Mercury Pollution Archived in a Crater Lake. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2022; 56:1736-1742. [PMID: 35034441 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c06791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Lead and mercury have long histories of anthropogenic use and release to the environment extending into preindustrial times. Yet, the timing, magnitude, and persistence of preindustrial emissions remain enigmatic, especially for mercury. Here, we quantify tropical lead and mercury deposition over the past ∼3000 years using a well-dated sediment core from a small crater lake (Lake Antoine, Grenada). Preindustrial increases in lead and mercury concentrations can be explained by varying inputs of watershed mineral and organic matter, which in turn reflect climate-driven changes in the lake level. We find no evidence that preindustrial lead and mercury use raised deposition rates in this remote ecosystem, and our results underscore the need to carefully evaluate common normalization approaches for changing lithogenic inputs and sedimentation rates. Industrial-era lead and mercury accumulation rates in Lake Antoine have been accelerated by land use and land cover change within the crater rim, yet global industrial pollution remains evident. After correcting for watershed inputs, we find that recent atmospheric lead and mercury deposition rates averaged 2925 and 24 μg/m2/y, respectively, which are in close agreement with monitoring data. Our results challenge recent assessments suggesting preindustrial mercury use raised atmospheric deposition rates globally, highlighting the unique nature of 20th Century industrial pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin A Cooke
- Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada
- Environment and Parks, Government of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T5J 5C6, Canada
| | - Jason H Curtis
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - William F Kenney
- Land Use and Environmental Change Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611, United States
| | - Paul Drevnick
- Environment and Parks, Government of Alberta, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2K8, Canada
| | - Peter E Siegel
- Department of Anthropology, Montclair State University, Montclair, New Jersey 07043, United States
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14
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Ljungqvist FC, Seim A, Tegel W, Krusic PJ, Baittinger C, Belingard C, Bernabei M, Bonde N, Borghaerts P, Couturier Y, Crone A, van Daalen S, Daly A, Doeve P, Domínguez-Delmás M, Edouard JL, Frank T, Ginzler C, Grabner M, Gschwind FM, Haneca K, Hansson A, Herzig F, Heussner KU, Hofmann J, Houbrechts D, Kaczka RJ, Kolář T, Kontic R, Kyncl T, Labbas V, Lagerås P, Le Digol Y, Le Roy M, Leuschner HH, Linderson H, Ludlow F, Marais A, Mills CM, Neyses-Eiden M, Nicolussi K, Perrault C, Pfeifer K, Rybníček M, Rzepecki A, Schmidhalter M, Seifert M, Shindo L, Spyt B, Susperregi J, Svarva HL, Thun T, Walder F, Ważny T, Werthe E, Westphal T, Wilson R, Büntgen U. Regional Patterns of Late Medieval and Early Modern European Building Activity Revealed by Felling Dates. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.825751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although variations in building activity are a useful indicator of societal well-being and demographic development, historical datasets for larger regions and longer periods are still rare. Here, we present 54,045 annually precise dendrochronological felling dates from historical construction timber from across most of Europe between 1250 and 1699 CE to infer variations in building activity. We use geostatistical techniques to compare spatiotemporal dynamics in past European building activity against independent demographic, economic, social and climatic data. We show that the felling dates capture major geographical patterns of demographic trends, especially in regions with dense data coverage. A particularly strong negative association is found between grain prices and the number of felling dates. In addition, a significant positive association is found between the number of felling dates and mining activity. These strong associations, with well-known macro-economic indicators from pre-industrial Europe, corroborate the use of felling dates as an independent source for exploring large-scale fluctuations of societal well-being and demographic development. Three prominent examples are the building boom in the Hanseatic League region of northeastern Germany during the 13th century, the onset of the Late Medieval Crisis in much of Europe c. 1300, and the cessation of building activity in large parts of central Europe during armed conflicts such as the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648 CE). Despite new insights gained from our European-wide felling date inventory, further studies are needed to investigate changes in construction activity of high versus low status buildings, and of urban versus rural buildings, and to compare those results with a variety of historical documentary sources and natural proxy archives.
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15
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Erel Y, Pinhasi R, Coppa A, Ticher A, Tirosh O, Carmel L. Lead in Archeological Human Bones Reflecting Historical Changes in Lead Production. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2021; 55:14407-14413. [PMID: 34724791 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.1c00614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Forty years ago, in a seminal paper published in Science, Settle and Patterson used archeological and historical data to estimate the rates of worldwide lead production since the discovery of cupellation, approximately 5000 years ago. Here, we record actual lead exposure of a human population by direct measurements of the concentrations of lead in petrous bones of individuals representing approximately 12 000 years of inhabitation in Italy. This documentation of lead pollution throughout human history indicates that, remarkably, much of the estimated dynamics in lead production is replicated in human exposure. Thus, lead pollution in humans has closely followed anthropogenic lead production. This observation raises concerns that the forecasted increase in the production of lead and other metals might affect human health in the near future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yigal Erel
- The Fredy & Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Ron Pinhasi
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
| | - Alfredo Coppa
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Vienna, Vienna 1010, Austria
- Department of Environmental Biology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome 00185, Italy
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Adi Ticher
- The Fredy & Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Ofir Tirosh
- The Fredy & Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
| | - Liran Carmel
- Department of Genetics, the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel
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16
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Rudnicka-Kępa P, Zaborska A. Sources, fate and distribution of inorganic contaminants in the Svalbard area, representative of a typical Arctic critical environment-a review. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:724. [PMID: 34648070 PMCID: PMC8516776 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09305-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Global environmental changes not only contribute to the modification of global pollution transport pathways but can also alter contaminant fate within the Arctic. Recent reports underline the importance of secondary sources of pollution, e.g. melting glaciers, thawing permafrost or increased riverine run-off. This article reviews reports on the European Arctic-we concentrate on the Svalbard region-and environmental contamination by inorganic pollutants (heavy metals and artificial radionuclides), including their transport pathways, their fate in the Arctic environment and the concentrations of individual elements in the ecosystem. This review presents in detail the secondary contaminant sources and tries to identify knowledge gaps, as well as indicate needs for further research. Concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides in Svalbard have been studied, in various environmental elements since the beginning of the twentieth century. In the last 5 years, the highest concentrations of Cd (13 mg kg-1) and As (28 mg kg-1) were recorded for organic-rich soils, while levels of Pb (99 mg kg-1), Hg (1 mg kg-1), Zn (496 mg kg-1) and Cu (688 mg kg-1) were recorded for marine sediments. Increased heavy metal concentrations were also recorded in some flora and fauna species. For radionuclides in the last 5 years, the highest concentrations of 137Cs (4500 Bq kg-1), 238Pu (2 Bq kg-1) and 239 + 240Pu (43 Bq kg-1) were recorded for cryoconites, and the highest concentration of 241Am (570 Bq kg-1) was recorded in surface sediments. However, no contamination of flora and fauna with radionuclides was observed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Agata Zaborska
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
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17
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Ludolphy C, Kierdorf U, Kierdorf H. Lead concentrations in antlers of European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) from an agricultural area in Northern Germany over a 119-year period-a historical biomonitoring study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:56069-56078. [PMID: 34047901 PMCID: PMC8500883 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-14538-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We analyzed the lead content in antlers of 90 adult European roe bucks (Capreolus capreolus) that had been culled between 1901 and 2019 in an agricultural-dominated hunting district in Lower Saxony (Northern Germany). Antler lead values ranged between 0.2 and 10.9 mg/kg dry weight. Median lead concentration was highest after World War II, during a period (1956-1984) of rapidly increasing mass motorization and use of leaded gasoline. Lead levels in antlers decreased markedly after the phase-out of leaded gasoline, but high values were still found in some recently collected antlers. This could indicate persistent lead pollution from former use of lead additives to gasoline, other traffic-related sources, or from agricultural sources (e.g., sewage sludge, fertilizers). This study highlights the suitability of analyzing roe deer antlers for the historical monitoring of changing lead levels in the environment. By collecting antlers and providing them for study, local hunters can significantly contribute to environmental surveillance and the monitoring of environmental pollution by bone-seeking contaminants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catharina Ludolphy
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Universitätsplatz 1, 31141, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Uwe Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Universitätsplatz 1, 31141, Hildesheim, Germany
| | - Horst Kierdorf
- Department of Biology, University of Hildesheim, Universitätsplatz 1, 31141, Hildesheim, Germany.
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18
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Kaufman B, Barnard H, Drine A, Khedher R, Farahani A, Tahar SB, Jerray E, Damiata BN, Daniels M, Cerezo-Román J, Fenn T, Moses V. Quantifying Surplus and Sustainability in the Archaeological Record at the Carthaginian-Roman Urban Mound of Zita, Tripolitania. CURRENT ANTHROPOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1086/715275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Abstract
Anthropogenic Pb is widespread in the environment including remote places. However, its presence in Canadian Arctic seawater is thought to be negligible based on low dissolved Pb (dPb) concentrations and proxy data. Here, we measured dPb isotopes in Arctic seawater with very low dPb concentrations (average ∼5 pmol ⋅ kg-1) and show that anthropogenic Pb is pervasive and often dominant in the western Arctic Ocean. Pb isotopes further reveal that historic aerosol Pb from Europe and Russia (Eurasia) deposited to the Arctic during the 20th century, and subsequently remobilized, is a significant source of dPb, particularly in water layers with relatively higher dPb concentrations (up to 16 pmol ⋅ kg-1). The 20th century Eurasian Pb is present predominantly in the upper 1,000 m near the shelf but is also detected in older deep water (2,000 to 2,500 m). These findings highlight the importance of the remobilization of anthropogenic Pb associated with previously deposited aerosols, especially those that were emitted during the peak of Pb emissions in the 20th century. This remobilization might be further enhanced because of accelerated melting of permafrost and ice along with increased coastal erosion in the Arctic. Additionally, the detection of 20th century Eurasian Pb in deep water helps constrain ventilation ages. Overall, this study shows that Pb isotopes in Arctic seawater are useful as a gauge of changing particulate and contaminant sources, such as those resulting from increased remobilization (e.g., coastal erosion) and potentially also those associated with increased human activities (e.g., mining and shipping).
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Smith KE, Weis D, Scott SR, Berg CJ, Segal Y, Claeys P. Regional and global perspectives of honey as a record of lead in the environment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 195:110800. [PMID: 33529648 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Honey from Apis mellifera is a useful and inexpensive biomonitor for mapping metal distributions in urban centers. The sampling resolution of a biomonitoring survey (e.g., city versus global scale) determines which geochemical processes are reflected in the results. This study presents Pb isotopic compositions and metal concentrations in honey from around the world, sampled at varying resolutions: honey from Canada (n = 21), the United States (n = 111), Belgium (n = 25), and New Zealand (n = 10), with additional samples from Afghanistan, Brazil, Cuba, Germany, Liberia, Taiwan, and Turkey. Honey was sampled at high resolution in two uniquely different land-use settings (New York Metro Area and the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i), at regional-scale resolution in eastern North America (including the Great Lakes region), and Pb isotopic compositions of all samples were compared on a global scale. At high sampling resolution, metal concentrations in honey reveal spatially significant concentration gradients: in New York City, metals associated with human activity and city infrastructure (e.g., Pb, Sb, Ti, V) are more concentrated in honey collected within the city compared to honey from upstate New York, and metal concentrations in honey from Kaua'i suggest polluting effects of nearby agricultural operations. At lower resolution (regional and global scales), lead isotopic compositions of honey are more useful than metal concentrations in revealing large-scale Pb processes (e.g., the enduring legacy of global leaded gasoline use throughout the twentieth century) and the continental origin of the honey. Lead isotopic compositions of honey collected from N. America (especially from the eastern USA) are more radiogenic (206Pb/207Pb: 1.132-1.253, 208Pb/206Pb: 2.001-2.129) compared to European honey, and honey from New Zealand, which has the least radiogenic isotopic compositions measured in this study (206Pb/207Pb: 1.077-1.160, 208Pb/206Pb: 2.090-2.187). Thus, biomonitoring using honey at different resolutions reflects differing processes and, to some extent, a honey terroir defined by the Pb isotopic composition. The data presented here provide important (and current) global context for future studies that utilize Pb isotopes in honey. Moreover, this study exhibits community science in action, as most of the honey was collected by collaborators around the world, working directly with local apiarists and hobby beekeepers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate E Smith
- Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2020-2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Dominique Weis
- Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2020-2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sean R Scott
- Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Yaffa Segal
- New Rochelle High School, New Rochelle, NY, USA
| | - Philippe Claeys
- Analytical, Environmental and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
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Mobilizing the past to shape a better Anthropocene. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:273-284. [PMID: 33462488 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01361-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
As our planet emerges into a new epoch in which humans dominate the Earth system, it is imperative that societies initiate a new phase of responsible environmental stewardship. Here we argue that information from the past has a valuable role to play in enhancing the sustainability and resilience of our societies. We highlight the ways that past data can be mobilized for a variety of efforts, from supporting conservation to increasing agricultural sustainability and food security. At a practical level, solutions from the past often do not require fossil fuels, can be locally run and managed, and have been tested over the long term. Past failures reveal non-viable solutions and expose vulnerabilities. To more effectively leverage increasing knowledge about the past, we advocate greater cross-disciplinary collaboration, systematic engagement with stakeholders and policymakers, and approaches that bring together the best of the past with the cutting-edge technologies and solutions of tomorrow.
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Liu H, Gu Y, Qin Y, Yu Z, Huang X, Xie S, Zheng M, Zhang Z, Cheng S. The elemental enrichments at Dajiuhu Peatland in the Middle Yangtze Valley in response to changes in East Asian monsoon and human activity since 20,000 cal yr BP. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 757:143990. [PMID: 33316522 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Here we present multiproxy inorganic geochemical records from a peat core (ZK5) from the Dajiuhu Basin in central China to investigate peatland deposition processes and atmospheric metal pollution and to explore their relationships with East Asian monsoon change and human activities in the Middle Yangtze Valley since 20,000 cal yr BP. The peat physicochemical data including total organic carbon (TOC), trace elements, and grain-size show that the site has changed from a lake during the cold-wet Last Glacial Maximum (LGM; 20,000-18,000 cal yr BP), to a marshy wetland during the mild last deglaciation (18,000-11,500 cal yr BP) and a peatland during the mostly warm and dry Holocene (11,500 cal yr BP-present). This general sequence corresponds with changes in East Asian monsoon indicated by stalagmites δ18O records and boreal summer insolation. Marked decreases in trace element concentrations correspond to two periods of peatland expansion during the abrupt hydroclimatic transitions from the LGM to the last deglaciation and from the last deglaciation to the early Holocene. Warm-dry mid-Holocene might induce high organic matter decomposition in peat sediments. Increasing natural element concentrations since the late Holocene are correlated with the weakening of the summer monsoon and elevated atmospheric dust deposition. Increasing Cu and Pb concentrations in peat record indicate large-scale Cu smelting during the Bronze Age and excessive coal burning during the 10th century or so. The anthropogenic heavy metals were transported by prevailing East Asian summer monsoon and deposited in the Dajiuhu Basin during periods of heightened human activities. Our compilation of heavy metals records across China confirmed the noticeable impacts of the historical human activity on deposition environments during the late Holocene. Consequently, trace elements from the Dajiuhu Basin are reliable proxies for capturing monsoon climate-induced peatland deposition response and present important evidence for a historical atmospheric heavy metal pollution in the Middle Yangtze Valley. Our results offer useful references for peatland evolution and protection under the background of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongye Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution & Eco-Restoration (WEER), China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Yansheng Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution & Eco-Restoration (WEER), China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China.
| | - Yangmin Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution & Eco-Restoration (WEER), China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Zicheng Yu
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015, USA; Institute for Peat and Mire Research, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Xianyu Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Shucheng Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Min Zheng
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Zhiqi Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Wetland Evolution & Eco-Restoration (WEER), China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; Shennongjia National Park Administration, Shennongjia 442400, Hubei, China
| | - Shenggao Cheng
- School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
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23
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Albarède F, Blichert‐Toft J, de Callataÿ F, Davis G, Debernardi P, Gentelli L, Gitler H, Kemmers F, Klein S, Malod‐Dognin C, Milot J, Télouk P, Vaxevanopoulos M, Westner K. From commodity to money: The rise of silver coinage around the Ancient Mediterranean (sixth-first centuries bce). ARCHAEOMETRY 2021; 63:142-155. [PMID: 33510540 PMCID: PMC7821003 DOI: 10.1111/arcm.12615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The reasons why the Western Mediterranean, especially Carthage and Rome, resisted monetization relative to the Eastern Mediterranean are still unclear. We address this question by combining lead (Pb) and silver (Ag) isotope abundances in silver coinage from the Aegean, Magna Graecia, Carthage and Roman Republic. The clear relationships observed between 109Ag/107Ag and 208Pb/206Pb reflect the mixing of silver ores or silver objects with Pb metal used for cupellation. The combined analysis of Ag and Pb isotopes reveals important information about the technology of smelting. The Greek world extracted Ag and Pb from associated ores, whereas, on the Iberian Peninsula, Carthaginians and Republican-era Romans applied Phoenician cupellation techniques and added exotic Pb to Pb-poor Ag ores. Massive Ag recupellation is observed in Rome during the Second Punic War. After defeating the Carthaginians and the Macedonians in the late second century bce, the Romans brought together the efficient, millennium-old techniques of silver extraction of the Phoenicians, who considered this metal a simple commodity, with the monetization of the economy introduced by the Greeks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - J. Blichert‐Toft
- Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRSUniversité de LyonLyonFrance
| | - F. de Callataÿ
- Royal Library of BelgiumBrusselsBelgium
- Ecole Pratique des Hautes EtudesParisFrance
| | - G. Davis
- Department of Ancient HistoryMacquarie UniversitySydneyNSWAustralia
| | | | - L. Gentelli
- Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRSUniversité de LyonLyonFrance
| | | | - F. Kemmers
- Institut für Archäologische WissenschaftenGoethe Universität Frankfurt am MainFrankfurt am MainGermany
| | - S. Klein
- Deutsches Bergbau‐MuseumBochumGermany
| | - C. Malod‐Dognin
- Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRSUniversité de LyonLyonFrance
| | - J. Milot
- Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRSUniversité de LyonLyonFrance
| | - P. Télouk
- Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, CNRSUniversité de LyonLyonFrance
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24
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Corella JP, Sierra MJ, Garralón A, Millán R, Rodríguez-Alonso J, Mata MP, de Vera AV, Moreno A, González-Sampériz P, Duval B, Amouroux D, Vivez P, Cuevas CA, Adame JA, Wilhelm B, Saiz-Lopez A, Valero-Garcés BL. Recent and historical pollution legacy in high altitude Lake Marboré (Central Pyrenees): A record of mining and smelting since pre-Roman times in the Iberian Peninsula. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 751:141557. [PMID: 32882549 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Revised: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We have analyzed potential harmful trace elements (PHTE; Pb, Hg, Zn, As and Cu) on sediment cores retrieved from lake Marboré (LM) (2612 m a.s.l, 42°41'N; 0° 2'E). PHTE variability allowed us to reconstruct the timing and magnitude of trace metal pollutants fluxes over the last 3000 years in the Central Pyrenees. A statistical treatment of the dataset (PCA) enabled us to discern the depositional processes of PHTE, that reach the lake via direct atmospheric deposition. Indeed, the location of LM above the atmospheric boundary layer makes this lake an exceptional site to record the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants in the free troposphere. Air masses back-trajectories analyses enabled us to understand the transport pathways of atmospheric pollutants while lead isotopic analyses contributed to evaluate the source areas of metal pollution in SW Europe during the Late Holocene. PHTE variability, shows a clear agreement with the main exploitation phases of metal resources in Southern Europe during the Pre-Industrial Period. We observed an abrupt lead enrichment from 20 to 375 yrs CE mostly associated to silver and lead mining and smelting practices in Southern Iberia during the Roman Empire. This geochemical data suggests that regional atmospheric metal pollution during the Roman times rivalled the Industrial Period. PHTE also increased during the High and Late Middle Ages (10-15th centuries) associated to a reactivation of mining and metallurgy activities in high altitude Pyrenean mining sites during climate amelioration phases. Atmospheric mercury deposition in the Lake Marboré record mostly reflects global emissions, particularly from Almadén mines (central Spain) and slightly fluctuates during the last three millennia with a significant increase during the last five centuries. Our findings reveal a strong mining-related pollution legacy in alpine lakes and watersheds that needs to be considered in management plans for mountain ecosystems as global warming and human pressure effects may contribute to their future degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J P Corella
- Universite Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, IGE, 38000 Grenoble, France; CIEMAT - Environmental Department (DMA), Avenida Complutense 40, E-28040 Madrid, Spain.
| | - M J Sierra
- CIEMAT - Environmental Department (DMA), Avenida Complutense 40, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - A Garralón
- CIEMAT - Environmental Department (DMA), Avenida Complutense 40, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - R Millán
- CIEMAT - Environmental Department (DMA), Avenida Complutense 40, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - J Rodríguez-Alonso
- CIEMAT - Environmental Department (DMA), Avenida Complutense 40, E-28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - M P Mata
- Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, Rios Rosas 23, 28003 Madrid, Spain
| | - A Vicente de Vera
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, CSIC, Avda Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - A Moreno
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, CSIC, Avda Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - P González-Sampériz
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, CSIC, Avda Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - B Duval
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les matériaux, Pau, France, 64000 Pau, France
| | - D Amouroux
- Universite de Pau et des Pays de l'Adour, E2S UPPA, CNRS, IPREM, Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les matériaux, Pau, France, 64000 Pau, France
| | - P Vivez
- Centro de Estudios de Sobrarbe, Sociedad Española para la Defensa del Patrimonio Geológico Y Minero, Plaza España, 22340 Boltaña, Huesca, Spain
| | - C A Cuevas
- Department of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate, Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - J A Adame
- Atmospheric Sounding Station, El Arenosillo Observatory, Atmospheric Research and Instrumentation Branch, National Institute for Aerospace Technology (INTA), Mazagón, Huelva, Spain
| | - B Wilhelm
- Universite Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IRD, IGE, 38000 Grenoble, France
| | - A Saiz-Lopez
- Department of Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate, Institute of Physical Chemistry Rocasolano, CSIC, Serrano 119, 28006 Madrid, Spain
| | - B L Valero-Garcés
- Pyrenean Institute of Ecology, CSIC, Avda Montañana 1005, 50059 Zaragoza, Spain
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25
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Carvalho F, Schulte L. Reconstruction of mining activities in the Western Alps during the past 2500 years from natural archives. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 750:141208. [PMID: 32846252 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The geochemical analysis of natural archives can improve our knowledge of past mining activities and their environmental imprint. The sedimentary records from the Hasli-Aare floodplain (Bernese Alps) over the last 2500 years were analysed for metals. Evidence of past mining contamination was obtained from the XRF analyses of iron, copper, zinc and lead. These results were analytically and statistically processed to produce a metal content index. Positive metal anomalies indicate four major pulses of contamination coinciding with the end of the Iron Age, from the end of the Roman Period to the Early Medieval Period, the Late Medieval Period, and the Modern Period. These pulses show good agreement with local historical sources of mining in the Hasli-Aare catchment, dating back to the beginning of the 15th century. Furthermore, they are in phase with anthropogenic pollution trends inferred from glacier ice cores, lake sediments and peat bogs across the Western Alps, most notably during the Roman, Late Medieval and Modern Periods. However, close comparison between these records can show some differences, suggesting local variations in mining activities and/or a lag in metal transfer. The reconstructed periods of anthropogenic metal pollution are located in their political, economic and social contexts and compared with the climate periods of central Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Carvalho
- FluvAlps Research Group, Department of Geography, University of Barcelona, Spain.
| | - L Schulte
- FluvAlps Research Group, Department of Geography, University of Barcelona, Spain
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26
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Kim BSM, Figueira RCL, Angeli JLF, Ferreira PAL, de Mahiques MM, Bícego MC. Insights into leaded gasoline registered in mud depocenters derived from multivariate statistical tool: southeastern Brazilian coast. ENVIRONMENTAL GEOCHEMISTRY AND HEALTH 2021; 43:47-63. [PMID: 32705388 DOI: 10.1007/s10653-020-00669-1] [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: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Lead has been widely used since antiquity, but its uses drastically increased during the Industrial Revolution. The global emission of Pb into the environment was mainly due to tetraethyl lead added to gasoline as an antiknock additive. Because of its toxicity and neurological effects, the compound was phased out in the 1980s. Isotopic signatures are widely applied to differentiate sources of Pb; however, this is an expensive and sophisticated analysis compared to elemental analysis. Thus, this study aims to gain insight into leaded gasoline registered in mud depocenters from the southeastern Brazilian coast using multivariate statistical tools on elemental analysis data of trace elements. Seven multiple cores were collected on board the Research Vessel Alpha Crucis. Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, Sc, Sr, V and Zn were analyzed by acid digestion and quantified by ICP-OES. Levels and enrichment factors of Pb resulted in homogeneous columns, indicating that small variations in concentrations can be attributed to grain size differences, not presenting contaminated levels. From statistical results, the highest contribution on the first component was represented by a lithogenic source with the leaching of continental rocks. Lead content was notable in its high loadings in other components, which suggests atmospheric deposition. An increase in these components in subsurface samples from vertical profiles between 1935 and 1996 could represent a fingerprint of the consumption of leaded gasoline in Brazil between 1923 and 1989. Thus, statistical analysis of elemental data enabled to infer possible sources and pathways of Pb to the environment, without isotopic analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Sung Mi Kim
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (IOUSP), Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, Butantã, São Paulo, 05508 120, Brazil.
| | - Rubens Cesar Lopes Figueira
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (IOUSP), Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, Butantã, São Paulo, 05508 120, Brazil
| | - José Lourenço Friedmann Angeli
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (IOUSP), Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, Butantã, São Paulo, 05508 120, Brazil
| | - Paulo Alves Lima Ferreira
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (IOUSP), Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, Butantã, São Paulo, 05508 120, Brazil
| | - Michel Michaelovich de Mahiques
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (IOUSP), Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, Butantã, São Paulo, 05508 120, Brazil
- Instituto de Energia e Ambiente, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Professor Luciano Gualberto, 1289, Butantã, São Paulo, 05508-010, Brazil
| | - Marcia Caruso Bícego
- Instituto Oceanográfico, Universidade de São Paulo (IOUSP), Praça do Oceanográfico, 191, Butantã, São Paulo, 05508 120, Brazil
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27
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Hao X, Zhu J, Rensing C, Liu Y, Gao S, Chen W, Huang Q, Liu YR. Recent advances in exploring the heavy metal(loid) resistant microbiome. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2020; 19:94-109. [PMID: 33425244 PMCID: PMC7771044 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2020.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Heavy metal(loid)s exert selective pressure on microbial communities and evolution of metal resistance determinants. Despite increasing knowledge concerning the impact of metal pollution on microbial community and ecological function, it is still a challenge to identify a consistent pattern of microbial community composition along gradients of elevated metal(loid)s in natural environments. Further, our current knowledge of the microbial metal resistome at the community level has been lagging behind compared to the state-of-the-art genetic profiling of bacterial metal resistance mechanisms in a pure culture system. This review provides an overview of the core metal resistant microbiome, development of metal resistance strategies, and potential factors driving the diversity and distribution of metal resistance determinants in natural environments. The impacts of biotic factors regulating the bacterial metal resistome are highlighted. We finally discuss the advances in multiple technologies, research challenges, and future directions to better understand the interface of the environmental microbiome with the metal resistome. This review aims to highlight the diversity and wide distribution of heavy metal(loid)s and their corresponding resistance determinants, helping to better understand the resistance strategy at the community level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuli Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Corresponding authors at: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Jiaojiao Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Christopher Rensing
- Institute of Environmental Microbiology, College of Resources and Environment, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, Fujian 350002, China
| | - Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Shenghan Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Wenli Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Qiaoyun Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
| | - Yu-Rong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
- Corresponding authors at: State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
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28
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Longman J, Ersek V, Veres D. High variability between regional histories of long-term atmospheric Pb pollution. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20890. [PMID: 33262534 PMCID: PMC7708465 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77773-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The advent of metal processing was one of the key technological evolutions presaging the development of modern society. However, the interplay between metal use and the long-term changes it induced in the development and functioning of past societies remains unclear. We present a compilation of global records of anthropogenic atmospheric lead (Pb) spanning the last 4000 years, an effective indirect proxy for reliably assessing Pb emissions directly linked to human activities. Separating this global Pb pollution signal into regionally representative clusters allows identification of regional differences in pollution output that reflect technological innovations, market demands, or demise of various human cultures for last 4000 years. Our European reconstruction traces well periods of intensive metal production such as the Roman and Medieval periods, in contrast to clusters from the Americas, which show low levels of atmospheric Pb until the Industrial Revolution. Further investigation of the European synthesis results displays clear regional variation in the timing and extent of past development of polluting activities. This indicates the challenges of using individual reconstructions to infer regional or global development in Pb output and related pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Longman
- Marine Isotope Geochemistry, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), University of Oldenburg, 26129, Oldenburg, Germany.
- School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK.
| | - Vasile Ersek
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK
| | - Daniel Veres
- Institute of Speleology, Romanian Academy, Clinicilor 5, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
- EDYTEM, Université Savoie Mont-Blanc, CNRS, Le Bourget du Lac, France.
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29
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Squadrone S, Brizio P, Stella C, Mantia M, Favaro L, Biancani B, Gridelli S, Da Rugna C, Abete MC. Differential Bioaccumulation of Trace Elements and Rare Earth Elements in the Muscle, Kidneys, and Liver of the Invasive Indo-Pacific Lionfish (Pterois spp.) from Cuba. Biol Trace Elem Res 2020; 196:262-271. [PMID: 31741203 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-019-01918-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The Indo-Pacific lionfish is a saltwater fish that inhabits the Red Sea waters and the Indian and Pacific oceans; it is an invasive species in the western Atlantic and was recently introduced into the local diet in the USA, Central and South America, and the Caribbean with the aim of controlling the invasion of this species. Due to its predatory nature, it tends to bioaccumulate metals and other contaminants via the marine food web and could thus constitute a suitable species for monitoring aquatic ecosystems. The presence and distribution of 23 trace elements and 16 rare earth elements (REEs) were investigated by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) in the muscle, liver, and kidneys of lionfish from Cuba. Significant differences in metal concentrations were found in the different fish organs. The liver and kidneys registered the highest concentrations for most trace elements and for ΣREE, thus demonstrating that they are effective bioindicators of possible pollution on the environment in which fish live, and assuming great importance in the choice of early biomonitoring. Trace element concentrations in the muscle are instead of crucial interest for consumer safety. The limits set by EU regulations and Cuban guidelines for Cd and Pb in fish muscle were never exceeded, suggesting that lionfish from Cuba could therefore represent a good source of minerals and proteins for the local population. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Squadrone
- Chemistry Department, Environmental Contaminants Laboratory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy.
| | - Paola Brizio
- Chemistry Department, Environmental Contaminants Laboratory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Caterina Stella
- Chemistry Department, Environmental Contaminants Laboratory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Martino Mantia
- Chemistry Department, Environmental Contaminants Laboratory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
| | - Livio Favaro
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Torino, via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123, Turin, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Maria Cesarina Abete
- Chemistry Department, Environmental Contaminants Laboratory, Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte, Liguria e Valle d'Aosta, via Bologna 148, 10154, Turin, Italy
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30
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Han C, Hwang H, Kang JH, Hong SB, Han Y, Lee K, Hur SD, Hong S. Reliable Ultra Trace Analysis of Cd, U and Zn Concentrations in Greenland Snow and Ice by Using Ultraclean Methods for Contamination Control. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25112519. [PMID: 32481633 PMCID: PMC7321221 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25112519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study presents ultraclean procedures used in the challenging task of determining trace elements at or below the pg/g concentration level encountered in Greenland snow and ice. In order to validate these ultraclean procedures, recent snowfall and Holocene ice from northwest Greenland were analyzed for Cd, U, and Zn concentrations. The total procedural blanks brought through the entire measurement procedure proved to be negligible, compared to trace element concentrations, measured in snow and ice samples. This validates the overall practicality of the proposed ultraclean procedures, thereby ensuring the reliable measurements of ultra-trace analysis. A comparison between our study and published data shows that improper procedures employed throughout all stages, from field sampling to analysis to elevate the concentrations by several orders of magnitude, relative to the reliable concentration ranges. The risk of contamination exposure for selected trace elements appears to increase in the order of U < As ≤ Pb < Cd < Zn. Reliable measurements of Cd, U, and Zn concentrations in snow and ice allowed us to interpret the data in terms of seasonal variations in the inputs of crustal and anthropogenic sources to Greenland ice sheet.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changhee Han
- Division of Polar Paleoenvironment, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Korea; (C.H.); (H.H.); (J.-H.K.); (S.-B.H.); (Y.H.); (K.L.); (S.D.H.)
| | - Heejin Hwang
- Division of Polar Paleoenvironment, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Korea; (C.H.); (H.H.); (J.-H.K.); (S.-B.H.); (Y.H.); (K.L.); (S.D.H.)
| | - Jung-Ho Kang
- Division of Polar Paleoenvironment, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Korea; (C.H.); (H.H.); (J.-H.K.); (S.-B.H.); (Y.H.); (K.L.); (S.D.H.)
| | - Sang-Bum Hong
- Division of Polar Paleoenvironment, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Korea; (C.H.); (H.H.); (J.-H.K.); (S.-B.H.); (Y.H.); (K.L.); (S.D.H.)
| | - Yeongcheol Han
- Division of Polar Paleoenvironment, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Korea; (C.H.); (H.H.); (J.-H.K.); (S.-B.H.); (Y.H.); (K.L.); (S.D.H.)
| | - Khanghyun Lee
- Division of Polar Paleoenvironment, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Korea; (C.H.); (H.H.); (J.-H.K.); (S.-B.H.); (Y.H.); (K.L.); (S.D.H.)
| | - Soon Do Hur
- Division of Polar Paleoenvironment, Korea Polar Research Institute, 26 Songdomirae-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990, Korea; (C.H.); (H.H.); (J.-H.K.); (S.-B.H.); (Y.H.); (K.L.); (S.D.H.)
| | - Sungmin Hong
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Inha University, 100 Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu, Incheon 22212, Korea
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +82-32-860-7708
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Makowska N, Zawierucha K, Nadobna P, Piątek-Bajan K, Krajewska A, Szwedyk J, Iwasieczko P, Mokracka J, Koczura R. Occurrence of integrons and antibiotic resistance genes in cryoconite and ice of Svalbard, Greenland, and the Caucasus glaciers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 716:137022. [PMID: 32059297 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Revised: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence of integrons and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is a serious threat for public health in the new millennium. Although commonly detected in sites affected by strong anthropogenic pressure, in remote areas their occurrence, dissemination, and transfer to other ecosystems is poorly recognized. Remote sites are considered as a benchmark for human-induced contamination on Earth. For years glaciers were considered pristine, now they are regarded as reservoirs of contaminants, thus studies on contamination of glaciers, which may be released to other ecosystems, are highly needed. Therefore, in this study we evaluated the occurrence and frequency of clinically relevant ARGs and resistance integrons in the genomes of culturable bacteria and class 1 integron-integrase gene copy number in the metagenome of cryoconite, ice and supraglacial gravel collected on two Arctic (South-West Greenland and Svalbard) and two High Mountain (the Caucasus) glaciers. Altogether, 36 strains with intI1 integron-integrase gene were isolated. Presence of class 1 integron-integrase gene was also recorded in metagenomic DNA from all sampling localities. The mean values of relative abundance of intI1 gene varied among samples and ranged from 0.7% in cryoconite from Adishi Glacier (the Caucasus) to 16.3% in cryoconite from Greenland. Moreover, antibiotic-resistant strains were isolated from all regions. Genes conferring resistance to β-lactams (blaSHV, blaTEM, blaOXA, blaCMY), fluoroquinolones (qepA, qnrC), and chloramphenicol (cat, cmr) were detected in the genomes of bacterial isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoletta Makowska
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Zawierucha
- Department of Animal Taxonomy and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Paulina Nadobna
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Kinga Piątek-Bajan
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Anna Krajewska
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Jagoda Szwedyk
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Patryk Iwasieczko
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Joanna Mokracka
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland
| | - Ryszard Koczura
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland.
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López-Costas O, Kylander M, Mattielli N, Álvarez-Fernández N, Pérez-Rodríguez M, Mighall T, Bindler R, Martínez Cortizas A. Human bones tell the story of atmospheric mercury and lead exposure at the edge of Roman World. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 710:136319. [PMID: 31926414 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.136319] [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: 09/17/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric metal pollution is a major health concern whose roots pre-date industrialization. This study pertains the analyses of ancient human skeletons and compares them with natural archives to trace historical environmental exposure at the edge of the Roman Empire in NW Iberia. The novelty of our approach relies on the combination of mercury, lead and lead isotopes. We found over a 700-year period that rural Romans incorporated two times more mercury and lead into their bones than post-Romans inhabiting the same site, independent of sex or age. Atmospheric pollution sources contributed on average 57% (peaking at 85%) of the total lead incorporated into the bones in Roman times, which decreased to 24% after the decline of Rome. These values and accompanying changes in lead isotopic composition mirror changes in atmospheric Pb deposition recorded in local peatlands. Thus, skeletons are a time-transgressive archive reflecting contaminant exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olalla López-Costas
- EcoPast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain; Archaeological Research Laboratory, Stockholm University, Wallenberglaboratoriet, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden; Laboratorio de Antropología Física, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada, Granada 18012, Spain.
| | - Malin Kylander
- Dept. Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; The Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nadine Mattielli
- Laboratoire G-Time, DGES, Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), 50 (CP 160/02), Av FD Roosevelt, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Noemi Álvarez-Fernández
- EcoPast (GI-1553), Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain
| | - Marta Pérez-Rodríguez
- Institut für Geoökologie, Abt. Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Langer Kamp, 19C, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Tim Mighall
- School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Richard Bindler
- Dept. Ecology and Environmental Science, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
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Gabrielli P, Wegner A, Sierra-Hernández MR, Beaudon E, Davis M, Barker JD, Thompson LG. Early atmospheric contamination on the top of the Himalayas since the onset of the European Industrial Revolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:3967-3973. [PMID: 32041888 PMCID: PMC7049134 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1910485117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Because few ice core records from the Himalayas exist, understanding of the onset and timing of the human impact on the atmosphere of the "roof of the world" remains poorly constrained. We report a continuous 500-y trace metal ice core record from the Dasuopu glacier (7,200 m, central Himalayas), the highest drilling site on Earth. We show that an early contamination from toxic trace metals, particularly Cd, Cr, Mo, Ni, Sb, and Zn, emerged at high elevation in the Himalayas at the onset of the European Industrial Revolution (∼1780 AD). This was amplified by the intensification of the snow accumulation (+50% at Dasuopu) likely linked to the meridional displacement of the winter westerlies from 1810 until 1880 AD. During this period, the flux and crustal enrichment factors of the toxic trace metals were augmented by factors of 2 to 4 and 2 to 6, respectively. We suggest this contamination was the consequence of the long-range transport and wet deposition of fly ash from the combustion of coal (likely from Western Europe where it was almost entirely produced and used during the 19th century) with a possible contribution from the synchronous increase in biomass burning emissions from deforestation in the Northern Hemisphere. The snow accumulation decreased and dry winters were reestablished in Dasuopu after 1880 AD when lower than expected toxic metal levels were recorded. This indicates that contamination on the top of the Himalayas depended primarily on multidecadal changes in atmospheric circulation and secondarily on variations in emission sources during the last 200 y.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Gabrielli
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210;
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Anna Wegner
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | | | - Emilie Beaudon
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Mary Davis
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Joel D Barker
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Lonnie G Thompson
- Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
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Bibi M, Wagreich M, Iqbal S. Trace metals as markers for historical anthropogenic contamination: Evidence from the Peshawar Basin, Pakistan. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 703:134926. [PMID: 31731148 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Trace element concentrations in the youngest Holocene sedimentary archives, historical mining, and archaeological sites are reliable indicators for historical anthropogenic contamination. The Pleistocene-Holocene strata and the overlying archaeological sites of the Peshawar Basin, NW Pakistan provide sedimentary archives to explore historical anthropogenic controls on the distributions of trace elements. The basin with 2500 y of human civilization was sampled using archaeological trenches at Gor Khuttree and Hund, and six sections of youngest Pleistocene-Holocene strata along river banks. Geochemical analysis of high-resolution samples were conducted for both the lacustrine-floodplain sediments and archaeological sites. Results from various horizons of the archaeological sites provide signals for anthropogenic control on the distribution of As, Zn, Cu, Mo, Pb, Hg, Ag, and Au during the Meghalayan Stage of Holocene that gain progressive strength since the 18th century. The geochemical proxies negate direct mining of Cu-Pb and Zn in the area. The consistent, anthropogenic Ag and Au contribution to the system throughout the basin's archaeological history is a significant finding. When correlated against the anthropogenic mercury contamination, it appears that Hund was a major silver-gold panning site throughout its known history whereas Gor Khuttree was the major silver-gold processing center. The Peshawar Basin anthropogenic signals contribute to widespread European early Anthropocene signals at around 2000 BP related to the Greek and Roman mining. Signals during the Hindu Shahi period correlate well with the Medieval period mining and smelting peak signals observed in Europe and China. Hg, Ag, and Au concentrations in the area since the start of the 19th century CE correlates to the start of industrialisation. During the mid-20th century, these geochemical signals from the Gor Khuttree reflect anthropogenic contributions to the local system and correlate to the suggested base of a formalised Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehwish Bibi
- Department of Geodynamics and Sedimentology, University of Vienna, Austria.
| | - Michael Wagreich
- Department of Geodynamics and Sedimentology, University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Shahid Iqbal
- Department of Geodynamics and Sedimentology, University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Earth Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Lee K, Han C, Hong SB, Jun SJ, Han Y, Xiao C, Du Z, Hur SD, Lee JI, Boutron CF, Hong S. A 300-Year High-Resolution Greenland Ice Record of Large-Scale Atmospheric Pollution by Arsenic in the Northern Hemisphere. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2019; 53:12999-13008. [PMID: 31603318 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.9b01805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
We report the first high-resolution record of arsenic (As) observed in Greenland snow and ice for the periods 1711-1970 and 2003-2009 AD. The results show well-defined large-scale atmospheric pollution by this toxic element in the northern hemisphere, beginning as early as the 18th century. The most striking feature is an abrupt, unprecedented enrichment factor (EF) peak in the late 1890s, with an ∼30-fold increase in the mean value above the Holocene natural level. Highly enriched As was evident until the late 1910s; a sharp decline was observed after the First World War, reaching a minimum in the early 1930s during the Great Depression. A subsequent increase lasted until the mid-1950s, before decreasing again. Comparisons between the observed variations and Cu smelting data indicate that Cu smelting in Europe and North America was the likely source of early anthropogenic As in Greenland. Despite a significant reduction of ∼80% in concentration and ∼60% in EF from the 1950s to the 2000s, more than 80% of present-day As in Greenland is of anthropogenic origin, probably due to increasing As emissions from coal combustion in China. This highlights the demand for the implementation of national and international environmental regulations to further reduce As emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khanghyun Lee
- Korea Polar Research Institute , 26 Songdomirae-ro , Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990 , Korea
| | - Changhee Han
- Korea Polar Research Institute , 26 Songdomirae-ro , Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990 , Korea
| | - Sang-Bum Hong
- Korea Polar Research Institute , 26 Songdomirae-ro , Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990 , Korea
| | - Seong-Joon Jun
- Korea Polar Research Institute , 26 Songdomirae-ro , Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990 , Korea
| | - Yeongcheol Han
- Korea Polar Research Institute , 26 Songdomirae-ro , Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990 , Korea
| | - Cunde Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Land Surface Processes and Resource Ecology , Beijing Normal University , Beijing 100875 , China
| | - Zhiheng Du
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences , Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Lanzhou , Gansu 730000 , China
| | - Soon Do Hur
- Korea Polar Research Institute , 26 Songdomirae-ro , Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990 , Korea
| | - Jong Ik Lee
- Korea Polar Research Institute , 26 Songdomirae-ro , Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21990 , Korea
| | - Claude F Boutron
- Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement , Université Grenoble Alpes/CNRS , 54 rue Molière , 38400 Saint Martin d'Hères , France
| | - Sungmin Hong
- Department of Ocean Sciences , Inha University , 100 Inha-ro , Michuhol-gu, Incheon 22212 , Korea
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McConnell JR, Chellman NJ, Wilson AI, Stohl A, Arienzo MM, Eckhardt S, Fritzsche D, Kipfstuhl S, Opel T, Place PF, Steffensen JP. Pervasive Arctic lead pollution suggests substantial growth in medieval silver production modulated by plague, climate, and conflict. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:14910-14915. [PMID: 31285330 PMCID: PMC6660774 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1904515116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Lead pollution in Arctic ice reflects large-scale historical changes in midlatitude industrial activities such as ancient lead/silver production and recent fossil fuel burning. Here we used measurements in a broad array of 13 accurately dated ice cores from Greenland and Severnaya Zemlya to document spatial and temporal changes in Arctic lead pollution from 200 BCE to 2010 CE, with interpretation focused on 500 to 2010 CE. Atmospheric transport modeling indicates that Arctic lead pollution was primarily from European emissions before the 19th-century Industrial Revolution. Temporal variability was surprisingly similar across the large swath of the Arctic represented by the array, with 250- to 300-fold increases in lead pollution observed from the Early Middle Ages to the 1970s industrial peak. Superimposed on these exponential changes were pronounced, multiannual to multidecadal variations, marked by increases coincident with exploitation of new mining regions, improved technologies, and periods of economic prosperity; and decreases coincident with climate disruptions, famines, major wars, and plagues. Results suggest substantial overall growth in lead/silver mining and smelting emissions-and so silver production-from the Early through High Middle Ages, particularly in northern Europe, with lower growth during the Late Middle Ages into the Early Modern Period. Near the end of the second plague pandemic (1348 to ∼1700 CE), lead pollution increased sharply through the Industrial Revolution. North American and European pollution abatement policies have reduced Arctic lead pollution by >80% since the 1970s, but recent levels remain ∼60-fold higher than at the start of the Middle Ages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R McConnell
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512;
| | - Nathan J Chellman
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512
| | - Andrew I Wilson
- Faculty of Classics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3LU, United Kingdom
- Institute of Archaeology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 2PG, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Stohl
- Department of Atmospheric and Climate Research, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, N-2027 Kjeller, Norway
| | - Monica M Arienzo
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512
| | - Sabine Eckhardt
- Department of Atmospheric and Climate Research, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, N-2027 Kjeller, Norway
| | - Diedrich Fritzsche
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Sepp Kipfstuhl
- Glaciology, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung, 27570 Bremerhaven, Germany
| | - Thomas Opel
- Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems, Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar-und Meeresforschung, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Philip F Place
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627
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37
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Reconstruction of Atmospheric Lead Pollution During the Roman Period Recorded in Belgian Ombrotrophic Peatlands Cores. ATMOSPHERE 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos9070253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Longman J, Veres D, Finsinger W, Ersek V. Exceptionally high levels of lead pollution in the Balkans from the Early Bronze Age to the Industrial Revolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E5661-E5668. [PMID: 29844161 PMCID: PMC6016796 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1721546115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Balkans are considered the birthplace of mineral resource exploitation and metalworking in Europe. However, since knowledge of the timing and extent of metallurgy in southeastern Europe is largely constrained by discontinuous archaeological findings, the long-term environmental impact of past mineral resource exploitation is not fully understood. Here, we present a high-resolution and continuous geochemical record from a peat bog in western Serbia, providing a clear indication of the extent and magnitude of environmental pollution in this region, and a context in which to place archaeological findings. We observe initial evidence of anthropogenic lead (Pb) pollution during the earliest part of the Bronze Age [∼3,600 years before Common Era (BCE)], the earliest such evidence documented in European environmental records. A steady, almost linear increase in Pb concentration after 600 BCE, until ∼1,600 CE is observed, documenting the development in both sophistication and extent of southeastern European metallurgical activity throughout Antiquity and the medieval period. This provides an alternative view on the history of mineral exploitation in Europe, with metal-related pollution not ceasing at the fall of the western Roman Empire, as was the case in western Europe. Further comparison with other Pb pollution records indicates the amount of Pb deposited in the Balkans during the medieval period was, if not greater, at least similar to records located close to western European mining regions, suggestive of the key role the Balkans have played in mineral resource exploitation in Europe over the last 5,600 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Longman
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, NE1 8ST Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom;
| | - Daniel Veres
- Institute of Speleology, Romanian Academy, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Walter Finsinger
- Palaeoecology - ISEM, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, F34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Vasile Ersek
- Department of Geography and Environmental Sciences, Northumbria University, NE1 8ST Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom
- Institute of Speleology, Romanian Academy, 400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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Li Y, Li Z, Cozzi G, Turetta C, Barbante C, Huang J, Xiong L. Signals of pollution revealed by trace elements in recent snow from mountain glaciers at the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. CHEMOSPHERE 2018; 200:523-531. [PMID: 29501889 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In order to extract pollution signal of trace elements (TEs) in glacier snow at the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau of China by human activities, concentrations of 18 TEs (Al, Ti, Fe, Rb, Sr, Ba, V, Cr, Mn, Li, Cu, Co, Mo, Cs, Sb, Pb, Tl, and U), 14 rare earth elements (La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu), Y and Th in digested snow samples from five glaciers in April-May 2013 before monsoon season were measured. Results shown that higher TEs concentrations were found in glaciers at the northern plateau while lower concentrations in glaciers at the central and southern plateau. Discussion revealed that EF values calculated from elements with mass fraction <30% such as Ti and Al, etc in traditional acid leached samples, will overestimate at least 4.6 times the contribution of other sources than dust for TEs such as Sb, Sr, As, Cu and Pb etc. Analysis indicated that most TEs mainly originated from dust sources, whereas Pb, Cu, Mo and Sb showed occasionally significant contributions from polluted sources in three snow pits and the GRHK surface snow samples. The pollution probably originated from mining and smelting, road transport emissions on the plateau and some regions outside of the plateau. Dust provenance tracing results based on REEs indicated that Taklimakan Desert, Qaidam Basin, and Tibetan surface soil were the potential dust sources for the studied glaciers, while the Indian Thar Desert was an occasional dust sources for YZF,XDKMD and GRHK snow samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuefang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - Zhen Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Giulio Cozzi
- Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes, National Research Council (IDPA-CNR), Venice Italy
| | - Clara Turetta
- Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes, National Research Council (IDPA-CNR), Venice Italy
| | - Carlo Barbante
- Institute for the Dynamics of Environmental Processes, National Research Council (IDPA-CNR), Venice Italy.
| | - Ju Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Longfei Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
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40
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McConnell JR, Wilson AI, Stohl A, Arienzo MM, Chellman NJ, Eckhardt S, Thompson EM, Pollard AM, Steffensen JP. Lead pollution recorded in Greenland ice indicates European emissions tracked plagues, wars, and imperial expansion during antiquity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:5726-5731. [PMID: 29760088 PMCID: PMC5984509 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1721818115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Lead pollution in Arctic ice reflects midlatitude emissions from ancient lead-silver mining and smelting. The few reported measurements have been extrapolated to infer the performance of ancient economies, including comparisons of economic productivity and growth during the Roman Republican and Imperial periods. These studies were based on sparse sampling and inaccurate dating, limiting understanding of trends and specific linkages. Here we show, using a precisely dated record of estimated lead emissions between 1100 BCE and 800 CE derived from subannually resolved measurements in Greenland ice and detailed atmospheric transport modeling, that annual European lead emissions closely varied with historical events, including imperial expansion, wars, and major plagues. Emissions rose coeval with Phoenician expansion, accelerated during expanded Carthaginian and Roman mining primarily in the Iberian Peninsula, and reached a maximum under the Roman Empire. Emissions fluctuated synchronously with wars and political instability particularly during the Roman Republic, and plunged coincident with two major plagues in the second and third centuries, remaining low for >500 years. Bullion in silver coinage declined in parallel, reflecting the importance of lead-silver mining in ancient economies. Our results indicate sustained economic growth during the first two centuries of the Roman Empire, terminated by the second-century Antonine plague.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R McConnell
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512;
- Visiting Fellow, All Souls College, University of Oxford, OX1 4AL Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew I Wilson
- Faculty of Classics, University of Oxford, OX1 3LU Oxford, United Kingdom
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TG Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Stohl
- Department of Atmospheric and Climate Research, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, N-2027 Kjeller, Norway
| | - Monica M Arienzo
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512
| | - Nathan J Chellman
- Division of Hydrologic Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV 89512
| | - Sabine Eckhardt
- Department of Atmospheric and Climate Research, Norwegian Institute for Air Research, N-2027 Kjeller, Norway
| | | | - A Mark Pollard
- School of Archaeology, University of Oxford, OX1 3TG Oxford, United Kingdom
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Babayigit A, Boyen HG, Conings B. Environment versus sustainable energy: The case of lead halide perovskite-based solar cells. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018. [DOI: 10.1557/mre.2017.17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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More AF, Spaulding NE, Bohleber P, Handley MJ, Hoffmann H, Korotkikh EV, Kurbatov AV, Loveluck CP, Sneed SB, McCormick M, Mayewski PA. The Role of Historical Context in Understanding Past Climate, Pollution and Health Data in Trans-disciplinary Studies: Reply to Comments on More et al., 2017. GEOHEALTH 2018; 2:162-170. [PMID: 32159523 PMCID: PMC7007076 DOI: 10.1029/2017gh000121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the context from which evidence emerges is of paramount importance in reaching robust conclusions in scientific inquiries. This is as true of the present as it is of the past. In a trans-disciplinary study such as More et al. (2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GH000064) and many others appearing in this and similar journals, a proper analysis of context demands the use of historical evidence. This includes demographic, epidemiological, and socio-economic data-common in many studies of the impact of anthropogenic pollution on human health-and, as in this specific case, also geoarchaeological evidence. These records anchor climate and pollution data in the geographic and human circumstances of history, without which we lose a fundamental understanding of the data itself. This article addresses Hinkley (2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GH000105) by highlighting the importance of context, focusing on the historical and archaeological evidence, and then discussing atmospheric deposition and circulation in the specific region of our study. Since many of the assertions in Bindler (2018, https://doi.org/10.1002/2018GH000135) are congruent with our findings and directly contradict Hinkley (2018), this reply refers to Bindler (2018), whenever appropriate, and indicates where our evidence diverges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander F. More
- Initiative for the Science of the Human Past and Department of HistoryHarvard UniversityCambridgeMAUSA
- Climate Change InstituteUniversity of MaineOronoMEUSA
| | - Nicole E. Spaulding
- Initiative for the Science of the Human Past and Department of HistoryHarvard UniversityCambridgeMAUSA
- Climate Change InstituteUniversity of MaineOronoMEUSA
| | - Pascal Bohleber
- Climate Change InstituteUniversity of MaineOronoMEUSA
- Institute of Environmental PhysicsHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | | | - Helene Hoffmann
- Institute of Environmental PhysicsHeidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | | | | | | | | | - Michael McCormick
- Initiative for the Science of the Human Past and Department of HistoryHarvard UniversityCambridgeMAUSA
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Quantitative assessment of Pb sources in isotopic mixtures using a Bayesian mixing model. Sci Rep 2018; 8:6154. [PMID: 29670142 PMCID: PMC5906678 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-24474-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lead (Pb) isotopes provide valuable insights into the origin of Pb within a sample, typically allowing for reliable fingerprinting of their source. This is useful for a variety of applications, from tracing sources of pollution-related Pb, to the origins of Pb in archaeological artefacts. However, current approaches investigate source proportions via graphical means, or simple mixing models. As such, an approach, which quantitatively assesses source proportions and fingerprints the signature of analysed Pb, especially for larger numbers of sources, would be valuable. Here we use an advanced Bayesian isotope mixing model for three such applications: tracing dust sources in pre-anthropogenic environmental samples, tracking changing ore exploitation during the Roman period, and identifying the source of Pb in a Roman-age mining artefact. These examples indicate this approach can understand changing Pb sources deposited during both pre-anthropogenic times, when natural cycling of Pb dominated, and the Roman period, one marked by significant anthropogenic pollution. Our archaeometric investigation indicates clear input of Pb from Romanian ores previously speculated, but not proven, to have been the Pb source. Our approach can be applied to a range of disciplines, providing a new method for robustly tracing sources of Pb observed within a variety of environments.
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Reply to Selin: Human impacts on the atmospheric burden of trace metals. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E2668. [PMID: 29511107 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1800958115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Pérez-Rodríguez M, Silva-Sánchez N, Kylander ME, Bindler R, Mighall TM, Schofield JE, Edwards KJ, Martínez Cortizas A. Industrial-era lead and mercury contamination in southern Greenland implicates North American sources. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 613-614:919-930. [PMID: 28946380 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
To study the long-range transport of atmospheric pollutants from lower latitude industrial areas to the Arctic, we analysed a peat core spanning the last ~700cal.yr (~1300-2000CE) from southern Greenland, an area sensitive to atmospheric pollution from North American and Eurasian sources. A previous investigation conducted in the same location recorded atmospheric lead (Pb) pollution after ~1845, with peak values recorded in the 1970s, and concluded that a North American source was most likely. To confirm the origin of the lead, we present new Pb isotope data from Sandhavn, together with a high-resolution record for mercury (Hg) deposition. Results demonstrate that the mercury accumulation rate has steadily increased since the beginning of the 19th century, with maximum values of 9.3μgm-2yr-1 recorded ~1940. Lead isotopic ratios show two mixing lines: one which represents inputs from local and regional geogenic sources, and another that comprises regional geogenic and pollution sources. Detrending the Pb isotopic ratio record (thereby extracting the effect of the geogenic mixing) has enabled us to reconstruct a detailed chronology of metal pollution. The first sustained decrease in Pb isotope signals is recorded as beginning ~1740-1780 with the lowest values (indicating the highest pollution signature) dated to ~1960-1970. The 206Pb/207Pb ratio of excess Pb (measuring 1.222, and reflecting pollution-generated Pb), when compared with the Pb isotopic composition of the Sandhavn peat record since the 19th century and the timing of Pb enrichments, clearly points to the dominance of pollution sources from North America, although it did not prove possible to further differentiate the emissions sources geographically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Pérez-Rodríguez
- Departamento de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain; Institut für Geoökologie, AG Umweltgeochemie, Technische Universität Braunschweig, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany.
| | - Noemí Silva-Sánchez
- Departamento de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
| | - Malin E Kylander
- Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden; The Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, SE-10691 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Richard Bindler
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Tim M Mighall
- Department of Geography and Environment, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK
| | - J Edward Schofield
- Department of Geography and Environment, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK
| | - Kevin J Edwards
- Department of Geography and Environment, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK; Department of Archaeology, School of Geosciences, University of Aberdeen, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK; Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, Herschel Road, Cambridge CB3 9AL, UK
| | - Antonio Martínez Cortizas
- Departamento de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Facultade de Bioloxía, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Sur, Santiago de Compostela 15782, Spain
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Kang JH, Hwang H, Han C, Hur SD, Kim SJ, Hong S. Pb concentrations and isotopic record preserved in northwest Greenland snow. CHEMOSPHERE 2017; 187:294-301. [PMID: 28854384 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.08.101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Revised: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
We present high-resolution lead (Pb) concentrations and isotopic ratios from a northwest Greenland snow pit covering a six-year period between 2003 and 2009. Pb concentrations ranged widely from 2.7 pg g-1 to 97.3 pg g-1, with a mean concentration of 21.6 pg g-1. These values are higher than those recorded for the pre-industrial period. Pb concentrations exhibit seasonal spikes in winter-spring layers. Crustal Pb enrichment factors (EF) suggest that the northwest Greenland snow pit is highly enriched with Pb of predominantly anthropogenic origin. The 206Pb/207Pb ratios ranged from 1.144 to 1.169 with a mean value of 1.156, which fall between less radiogenic Eurasian-type and more radiogenic Canadian-type signatures. This result suggests that several potential source areas of Pb impact on northwest Greenland. Abrupt changes in Pb concentrations and Pb isotope ratios were observed and related to seasonal shifts in source regions of aerosol transport. The 206Pb/207Pb isotope ratio increased gradually between 2003 and 2009. The similarity of the three-isotope plot (206Pb/207Pb versus 208Pb/207Pb) between some of our samples and Chinese urban aerosols suggests a steadily increasing contribution of Chinese Pb to northwest Greenland snow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jung-Ho Kang
- Division of Polar Paleoenvironment, Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), 26 Songdomirae-ro, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea.
| | - Heejin Hwang
- Division of Polar Paleoenvironment, Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), 26 Songdomirae-ro, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Changhee Han
- Division of Polar Paleoenvironment, Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), 26 Songdomirae-ro, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea; Department of Ocean Sciences, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Soon Do Hur
- Division of Polar Paleoenvironment, Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), 26 Songdomirae-ro, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Joong Kim
- Division of Polar Climate Sciences, Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI), 26 Songdomirae-ro, Incheon, 21990, Republic of Korea
| | - Sungmin Hong
- Department of Ocean Sciences, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea.
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More AF, Spaulding NE, Bohleber P, Handley MJ, Hoffmann H, Korotkikh EV, Kurbatov AV, Loveluck CP, Sneed SB, McCormick M, Mayewski PA. Next-generation ice core technology reveals true minimum natural levels of lead (Pb) in the atmosphere: Insights from the Black Death. GEOHEALTH 2017; 1:211-219. [PMID: 32158988 PMCID: PMC7007106 DOI: 10.1002/2017gh000064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Contrary to widespread assumptions, next-generation high (annual to multiannual) and ultra-high (subannual) resolution analyses of an Alpine glacier reveal that true historical minimum natural levels of lead in the atmosphere occurred only once in the last ~2000 years. During the Black Death pandemic, demographic and economic collapse interrupted metal production and atmospheric lead dropped to undetectable levels. This finding challenges current government and industry understanding of preindustrial lead pollution and its potential implications for human health of children and adults worldwide. Available technology and geographic location have limited previous ice core investigations. We provide new high- (discrete, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, ICP-MS) and ultra-high resolution (laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, LA-ICP-MS) records of atmospheric lead deposition extracted from the high Alpine glacier Colle Gnifetti, in the Swiss-Italian Alps. We show that contrary to the conventional wisdom, low levels at or approaching natural background occurred only in a single 4 year period in ~2000 years documented in the new ice core, during the Black Death (~1349-1353 C.E.), the most devastating pandemic in Eurasian history. Ultra-high chronological resolution allows for the first time detailed and decisive comparison of the new glaciochemical data with historical records. Historical evidence shows that mining activity ceased upwind of the core site from ~1349 to 1353, while concurrently on the glacier lead (Pb) concentrations-dated by layer counting confirmed by radiocarbon dating-dropped to levels below detection, an order of magnitude beneath figures deemed low in earlier studies. Previous assumptions about preindustrial "natural" background lead levels in the atmosphere-and potential impacts on humans-have been misleading, with significant implications for current environmental, industrial, and public health policy, as well as for the history of human lead exposure. Trans-disciplinary application of this new technology opens the door to new approaches to the study of the anthropogenic impact on past and present human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander F. More
- Initiative for the Science of the Human Past and Department of HistoryHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- Climate Change Institute, Sawyer Environmental Research BuildingUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
| | - Nicole E. Spaulding
- Climate Change Institute, Sawyer Environmental Research BuildingUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
| | - Pascal Bohleber
- Climate Change Institute, Sawyer Environmental Research BuildingUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
- Institute of Environmental Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 229Heidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Michael J. Handley
- Climate Change Institute, Sawyer Environmental Research BuildingUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
| | - Helene Hoffmann
- Institute of Environmental Physics, Im Neuenheimer Feld 229Heidelberg UniversityHeidelbergGermany
| | - Elena V. Korotkikh
- Climate Change Institute, Sawyer Environmental Research BuildingUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
| | - Andrei V. Kurbatov
- Climate Change Institute, Sawyer Environmental Research BuildingUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
| | - Christopher P. Loveluck
- Department of Archaeology, University Park, School of HumanitiesUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Sharon B. Sneed
- Climate Change Institute, Sawyer Environmental Research BuildingUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
| | - Michael McCormick
- Initiative for the Science of the Human Past and Department of HistoryHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
| | - Paul A. Mayewski
- Climate Change Institute, Sawyer Environmental Research BuildingUniversity of MaineOronoMaineUSA
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Abstract
AbstractThe earliest known use of lead was in the Neolithic period; by Roman times it was in widespread use, despite recognition that it could have adverse effects on human health. The early smelting processes were inefficient, giving rise to atmospheric pollution; as this reduced with modern improvements in furnace design, so pollution due to the addition of tetraethyl lead to motor fuel emerged. The military use of lead was a further source of environmental contamination, while individuals were exposed to lead from water pipes, paint and solder in food cans. Studies of lead in ice cores recovered from Greenland demonstrated a 200-fold increase in lead concentration from 800 BCE to the 1960s, with the greatest increase occurring after 1940. The isotope signatures of lead enabled the sources of environmental contamination to be determined: industrial lead was responsible throughout most of the last millennium, with lead in fuel making the greatest contribution in recent times. The human impact was demonstrated in studies of archaeological and modern skeletal lead levels. This paper explores the history of the use of lead and the development of an understanding of its toxicity, and examines its impact on human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beverly P. Bergman
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8RZ, UK
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Abstract
Abstract
Introduction: Hard antlers of deer are unique bioindicators of environmental metal pollutions, but sampling methods presented in the literature are inconsistent. Due to the specific growth pattern of antlers and their histological structure, sampling methods described in the literature were reviewed, the suitability of using mixed samples of both antler layers as element bioindicators was assessed, and the codified method of antler sampling used for bioindication was described. Material and Methods: Lead, cadmium, mercury, arsenic, copper, zinc, and iron in trabecular and cortical parts of hard antlers of red deer (Cervus elaphus) were determined using different methods of atomic absorption spectrometry (depending on the element). Results: Mean mercury content in trabecular bone (0.010 ±0.018 mg/kg) was 5 times higher than in cortical bone (0.002 ±0.003 mg/kg). Mean iron concentration was approximately 15 times higher in trabecular (239.83 ±130.15 mg/kg) than in cortical bone (16.17 ±16.44 mg/kg). Concentrations of other analysed elements did not differ statistically between antler layers. Conclusion: In mixed antler samples, concentrations of mercury and iron depend on the particular antler layer contents. This therefore warrants caution when comparing results across studies and specification of the sampling methodology of antlers is highly recommended.
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Pb 2+ Effects on Growth, Lipids, and Protein and DNA Profiles of the Thermophilic Bacterium Thermus Thermophilus. Microorganisms 2016; 4:microorganisms4040045. [PMID: 27929414 PMCID: PMC5192528 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms4040045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2016] [Revised: 11/21/2016] [Accepted: 11/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Extremophiles are organisms able to thrive in extreme environmental conditions and some of them show the ability to survive high doses of heavy metals thanks to defensive mechanisms provided by primary and secondary metabolic products, i.e., extremolytes, lipids, and extremozymes. This is why there is a growing scientific and industrial interest in the use of thermophilic bacteria in a host of tasks, from the environmental detoxification of heavy metal to industrial activities, such as bio-machining and bio-metallurgy. In this work Thermus thermophilus was challenged against increasing Pb2+ concentrations spanning from 0 to 300 ppm in order to ascertain the sensitiveness of this bacteria to the Pb environmental pollution and to give an insight on its heavy metal resistance mechanisms. Analysis of growth parameters, enzyme activities, protein profiles, and lipid membrane modifications were carried out. In addition, genotyping analysis of bacteria grown in the presence of Pb2+, using random amplified polymorphic DNA-PCR and DNA melting evaluation, were also performed. A better knowledge of the response of thermophilic bacteria to the different pollutants, as heavy metals, is necessary for optimizing their use in remediation or decontamination processes.
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