High-resolution reconstruction of atmospheric deposition of trace metals and metalloids since AD 1400 recorded by ombrotrophic peat cores in Hautes-Fagnes, Belgium

Mohammed Allan (1) , Gaël Le Roux (2) , François de Vleeschouwer (2) , Richard Bindler (3) , Maarten Blaauw (4) , Natalia Piotrowska (5) , Jaroslaw Sikorski (5) , Nathalie Fagel (1)

1 Université de Liège
2 LEFE - Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement
3 Umeå University
4 QUB - Queen's University [Belfast]
5 Silesian University of Technology

The objective of our study was to determine the trace metal accumulation rates in the Misten bog, Hautes-Fagnes, Belgium, and assess these in relation to established histories of atmospheric emissions from anthropogenic sources. To address these aims we analyzed trace metals and metalloids (Pb, Cu, Ni, As, Sb, Cr, Co, V, Cd and Zn), as well as Pb isotopes, using XRF, Q-ICP-MS and MC-ICP-MS, respectively in two 40-cm peat sections, spanning the last 600 yr. The temporal increase of metal fluxes from the inception of the Industrial Revolution to the present varies by a factor of 5e50, with peak values found between AD 1930 and 1990. A cluster analysis combined with Pb isotopic composition allows the identification of the main sources of Pb and by inference of the other metals, which indicates that coal consumption and metallurgical activities were the predominant sources of pollution during the last 600 years.

Mots clés: Atmospheric pollution; Industrial Revolution; Trace metals; Lead isotopes; Misten bog

Domaines: Biodiversité et Ecologie

Mohammed Allan, Gaël Le Roux, François de Vleeschouwer, Richard Bindler, Maarten Blaauw, et al.. High-resolution reconstruction of atmospheric deposition of trace metals and metalloids since AD 1400 recorded by ombrotrophic peat cores in Hautes-Fagnes, Belgium. Environmental Pollution, 2013, vol. 178, pp.381-394. ⟨10.1016/j.envpol.2013.03.018⟩. ⟨hal-00977497⟩