A comparison of rare earth elements' (REE) atmospheric signatures in various ecosystem compartments was carried out in the vicinity of the Lesní potok catchment (LP), Czech Republic. REE signatures were investigated from 2004 to 2006 in rainwater, throughfall, tree foliage (
Picea abies
,
Fagus sylvatica
) and lichens (
Hypogymnia physodes
) for selected elements (Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, S, Si). REE concentrations increased in the following sequences: bulk precipitation < beech throughfall < spruce throughfall and spruce needles < beech leaves ≪ lichens.
The crustal origin of REEs in bulk precipitation was confirmed by its high correlation with lithogenic elements, by the seasonal variation in REE concentrations and by comparison of REE distribution patterns of the upper continental crust, local granites and soil. Enrichment factors calculated in relation to bulk precipitation and normalized to Na enabled elimination of the influence of dry deposition and wash-out. Higher REE concentrations in throughfall were then identified to be the result of the wash-out of dry deposition, while REEs were found to bioaccumulate in vegetation, although at a much smaller rate than the essential elements K, Mn, P, Mg and Ca.
Supplementary material:
various REE and major ions concentrations are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18437.
This work is concerned with analysis of the transport trajectories and identification of the probable emission sources of a set of chemical elements monitored in samples of atmospheric precipitation collected in the area of Central Bohemia, Czech Republic. This is based on evaluation of the significance of transport trajectories obtained using the HYSPLIT model for specific periods of duration of the sampled precipitation episodes in dependence on the values of the corrected concentrations of the monitored elements in the individual samples. The proposed method of correction of the measured concentrations of the elements is concerned with elimination of meteorological effects that are unspecific from with respect to the direction of the transport trajectories. The results for the group of elements with higher concentration levels in the sampled precipitation agree with the assumptions on their probable most important sources. The common main source of Na, Mg and Ca is marine aerosol, while K, P and Mn are probably of biogenic origin. The common main sources of Al and Fe-probably terrigenic dust-also correspond to the assumptions. Sulfur does not exhibit a significant predominant direction to the sampling site. Zinc, Cd, Cu and also Si are transported to the greatest degree from the north-westerly direction, indicating the probable effect of large energy-production sources in the area under the Krušné Mountains in the CR or the effect of traffic in the Capital City of Prague. The predominant direction of dispersion of Pb and As is a northeasterly to easterly direction of transport.
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