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One of the five largest mass extinctions of the past 600 million years occurred at the boundary of the Triassic and Jurassic periods, 201.6 million years ago. The loss of marine biodiversity at the time has been linked to extreme greenhouse warming, triggered by the release of carbon dioxide from flood basalt volcanism in the central Atlantic Ocean. In contrast, the biotic turnover in terrestrial ecosystems is not well understood, and cannot be readily reconciled with the effects of massive volcanism. Here we present pollen, spore and geochemical analyses across the Triassic/Jurassic boundary from three drill cores from Germany and Sweden. We show that gymnosperm forests in northwest Europe were transiently replaced by fern and fern-associated vegetation, a pioneer assemblage commonly found in disturbed ecosystems. The Triassic/Jurassic boundary is also marked by an enrichment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which, in the absence of charcoal peaks, we interpret as an indication of incomplete combustion of organic matter by ascending flood basalt lava. We conclude that the terrestrial vegetation shift is so severe and wide ranging that it is unlikely to have been triggered by greenhouse warming alone. Instead, we suggest that the release of pollutants such as sulphur dioxide and toxic compounds such as the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons may have contributed to the extinction.

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Heavy metal concentrations were measured in airborne dust collected at three sites with different traffic densities from August 2001 to July 2002 in the Frankfurt am Main area. Bulk samples of particulate matter (PM) with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter of <22 microm were collected on cellulose nitrate filters using air filtration devices. Fractionated samples of PM with an aerodynamic equivalent diameter of <10 microm were collected using an eight-stage Andersen impactor. Pb, Cd, Mn, Ni, Zn, V, As, Sb, Cu, Cr, Co, and Ce were determined by inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry, Pt and Rh were determined by adsorptive voltammetry, and Pd was determined by total reflection X-ray fluorescence analysis. The results show that the highest airborne heavy metal concentrations occurred at the main street with a large volume of traffic. With the exception of Co, V, Ce, and Mn, the heavy metals had an elevated enrichment factor compared to their concentrations in the continental crust. The main street site was especially contaminated with Sb, Zn, Cu, V, and Ni. Motor vehicles are the likely source of emissions. With the exception of Cr, Cu, and Zn, most of the airborne heavy metal concentrations determined for impactor samples deviate slightly from the results for total airborne dust. Heavy metal particle size distributions can be divided into three groups. For metals such as As, Cd, Pb, and V, the main fraction can be found in fine particles with a diameter of <2.1 microm, whereas Ce, Cr, Co, and Ni occur mainly in coarse particles with a diameter of >2.1 microm. Cu, Mn, Sb, Zn, Pt, Pd, and Rh occur in high concentrations in the medium range of the impactor stages (particle diameters of 1.1-4.7 microm). Metal concentrations in fine dust particles are needed to assess the human health risks of their inhalation.

Soil samples were collected along the highway A5 from the major junctions Frankfurter Kreuz to Darmstäder Kreuz from July to September, 2004 and analyzed for palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), and rhodium (Rh). The results were compared to analyses of platinum group elements (PGE) in soils collected along this same stretch of highway in 1994. The goal of this study is to detect any changes that may have occurred in the concentration and environmental distribution patterns of these metals over this 10 year period. The concentrations of Pd in soils along the highway were found to be about 15 times higher on average than those measured in 1994. Pt and Rh concentrations increased 2 and 1.6 times, respectively, during this time period. The significant rise in Pd concentrations in soils observed for the time period of analysis is likely due to its use in automobile catalytic converters in Germany since 1993. The results also show a strong positive relationship between PGE emissions and traffic density and speed. The results indicate that increases in the concentrations of Pd, Pt, and Rh in soils along the highway are not limited to the soil surface. Pt was measured as deep as 12 cm. Pd was determined at even greater depths of 12-16 cm. The presence of Pd at lower depths compared to Pt suggests that this element has a higher solubility. Pd, Pt, and Rh concentrations display a strong inverse relationship with distance from the road, with decreasing levels with increasing distance from the highway. Nonetheless, Pd and Pt were detected in a meadow as far as 50 m from the highway, a much greater distance compared to that measured for these metals in 1994. Pt concentrations were also found to significantly correlate with levels of Rh and Pd. The ratios between the PGE analyzed (Pt/Rh and Pd/Rh) display a shift toward Pt and Pd. The results clearly show that PGE concentrations have increased over time. Observed increases in Pd concentrations are particularly a cause of concern.