A Comparison of Tree Rings and Peat Deposit Geochemical Archives in the Vicinity of a Lead Smelter

Metal mining and processing in the central Czech Republic has led to the contamination of surrounding soils and vegetation. In this study, Hg concentrations were measured in spruce (Picea abies L.) and beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) tree rings to monitor historical Hg deposition in the area. The highest Hg concentrations were found in spruce at an HgS smelting contaminated site (up to 15 ng g −1 ), probably reflecting smelting activities at the end of the nineteenth century. In the vicinity of a Pb smelter, Hg concentrations increased from the 1950s to maxima (up to 8.4 ng g −1 ) in the 1970s, corresponding with a peak of metallurgical production and smelter emissions in the mid 1970s. A decreasing trend in Hg concentrations since the 1980s was probably related to improvements in flue gas cleaning technologies. The beech trees, which grow at a site between two smelters and range in age from 150 to 220 years, seem to reflect deposition from both point sources. Mercury levels in beech trees were lower, that resulting from their greater distance from pollution sources, but the concentration trend was strongly correlated with metal production. Analysis of nutrient elements (Ca, Mg, K and Mn) in wood revealed environmental changes related to acid deposition, but a relation between concentration trends of nutrients and Hg was not found. This study shows that tree rings may be a good record of Hg deposition in areas affected by ore mining and smelting. Nevertheless, further investigation of Hg cycling in trees is necessary to satisfactorily interpret this particular historical Hg record.

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“…A similar increase in Ca concentrations in spruce trees was also observed by Mihaljevič et al (2008) in the vicinity of the Příbram smelter.…”

Section: Radial Distribution Of Nutrient Elements In Tree Ringssupporting

confidence: 78%

“…Comparable patterns in conifers have been found by other authors (e.g. Watmough and Hutchinson 2002;Mihaljevič et al 2008) and may be influenced by differences between sapwood and heartwood chemistry. Similarly to Mg, K concentrations in beech trees were significantly higher than in spruce trees.…”

Section: Radial Distribution Of Nutrient Elements In Tree Ringssupporting

confidence: 61%

Changes in Mercury Deposition in a Mining and Smelting Region as Recorded in Tree Rings

Hojdová

Navrátil

Rohovec

et al. 2010

Water Air Soil Pollut

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“…Even though these values are comparatively fairly low, the fact remains that the trees have absorbed a greater amount of lead during this period. Mihaljevič et al (2008) and other researchers Aznar et al 2008) have found that lead exhibits little mobility between adjacent rings, so that the lead concentrations recorded in the trees are an indication of the year during which it was probably absorbed. In fact, several factors could explain the changes observed in the trees' absorption rates, including variations in the physiological responses of the tree, the edaphic conditions (drainage, pH, etc.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…In addition, some elements such as cadmium and zinc are more mobile in soil and tree rings and less reliable for dendrochemical analysis (Padilla and Anderson 2002). However, it should be pointed out that the lead element is scarcely mobile in tree xylem, which significantly reduces radial mobility between adjacent rings (Cutter and Guyette 1993;Mihaljevič et al 2008). It follows that lead is a better indicator of contamination events than other chemical elements such as cadmium or zinc (Hagemeyer and Lohrie 1995).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Isotopic Record of Lead Contamination in Alluvial Soils and Tree Rings on Recent Floodplains (Southern Québec, Canada)

Saint-Laurent

St-Laurent

Duplessis

et al. 2009

Water Air Soil Pollut

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Current and past industrial pollution leaves many traces in the environment, in particular along rivers in industrial and urban areas. The isotopic analysis of the lead found in soils and tree rings offers a kind of environmental archive for presenting a portrait of the pollutant distribution in the environment in both spatial and temporal terms. This study is an attempt to identify and compare the source of contamination found in soils and tree rings located along two rivers affected by pollution over several years. Specifically, the focus is on the pattern of lead concentrations and lead isotopic signatures (206Pb/ 207Pb, 208Pb/206Pb, and 206Pb/204Pb) detected in soils and tree rings located on polluted floodplains. The concentration of Pb in overbank sediments does not rise with the increasing distance downstream from the point source (mining area), suggesting that significant fluvial transport of the pollutant particles over 80 km is involved. For the soil profiles, Pb concentration levels range between 12.32 and 149.13 mg/kg, with the highest concentrations found at the base of the profiles (>1 m). For the lead isotope ratios in the soil profiles, the values obtained range from 0.851 to 0.872 (206Pb/207Pb), 2.081 to 2.111 (208Pb/206Pb), and 0.547 to 0.562 (206Pb/204Pb). The tree ring analysis of red ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) shows average lead concentrations of 0.63 μg/g, and the lead values of all the tree specimens range between 0.03 and 11.38 μg/g. Pb concentrations varied greatly between the specimens in selected sites and lead isotope ratios in the tree rings showed a strong variability in the time series, particularly from 1945 to 1970. The greater number of variations in the lead concentration rates and isotopic ratios suggest that many more events associated with pollution and contamination have in fact occurred in this area. The study demonstrates the utility of combining stable isotope analyses (soils and tree rings) to examine the source and dispersion of contaminant Pb in fluvial systems by providing reliable and robust indicators for the detection of environmental changes on a local and regional scale.

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“…Contamination of soils and biomass in the POR and surrounding area has been studied by numerous authors, e.g., by Rieuwerts et al (1999Rieuwerts et al ( , 2000, Borůvka and Drábek (2004), Suchara and Sucharová (2004), Sucharová and Suchara (2004), Ettler et al (2004Ettler et al ( , 2005, and Mihaljevič et al (2008).…”

Section: Litavka River Contamination By Heavy Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fluxes of Heavy Metals from a Highly Polluted Watershed During Flood Events: A Case Study of the Litavka River, Czech Republic

Žák

Rohovec

Navrátil

2009

Water Air Soil Pollut

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The Litavka River (length 56 km, watershed area 630 km 2 , average flow at the outlet to the Berounka River 2.57 m 3 s −1 ) drains the historical mining, ore processing, and smelting region of Příbram. This Ag-Pb-Zn±Sb ore district (production from the thirteenth century to 1978, locally to 1980) is known for extensive heavy metal contamination. Recent contamination of the Litavka River system is mostly related to the erosion of contaminated soils and fluvial floodplains sediments, especially from a low-gradient river section located immediately below the ore district, where the fine-grained floodplain sediments are from 1.0 to 1.7 m thick. Radiocarbon accelerator mass spectrometry dating of charcoal fragments separated from one floodplain profile showed calibrated 14 C age in the range AD 1220-1284 at a depth of 1.2 m below the surface, while depths of 0.4 and 0.8 m yielded ages in the range AD 1680-1939. Formation of this floodplain was related to disturbance of the river equilibrium resulting from deforestation and the influx of fine-grained material from ore processing, including historical failures of settling ponds. Fluxes of heavy metals during flood events in the Litavka River were studied 35 km downstream below the ore district. Metals are transported here mostly (more than 99% for Pb) in the form of suspended particulate matter (SPM), which at the outlet of the Litavka River contains 2,016 mg kg −1 Zn, 918 mg kg −1 Pb, and 25.5 mg kg −1 Cd on average. During a snowmelt-related minor flood event between March 25 and 29, 2006 (peak flow 36.6 m 3 s −1 ), the river transported 2,400 tonnes of SPM during 4 days, containing 74 kg of Cd, 2,954 kg of Pb, and 5,811 kg of Zn. During larger floods (water flows above 55 m 3 s −1 have occurred here 27 times during the last 77 years), the contamination is more diluted by material eroded in the floodplain along the middle and lower river course.

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A Comparison of Tree Rings and Peat Deposit Geochemical Archives in the Vicinity of a Lead Smelter

Abstract: The content of Pb,

Cited by 26 publications

References 32 publications

Changes in Mercury Deposition in a Mining and Smelting Region as Recorded in Tree Rings

Changes in Mercury Deposition in a Mining and Smelting Region as Recorded in Tree Rings

Isotopic Record of Lead Contamination in Alluvial Soils and Tree Rings on Recent Floodplains (Southern Québec, Canada)

Fluxes of Heavy Metals from a Highly Polluted Watershed During Flood Events: A Case Study of the Litavka River, Czech Republic

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