An atmospheric pollution history for lead–zinc mining from the Ystwyth Valley, Dyfed, mid-Wales, UK as recorded by an upland blanket peat

Abstract

This paper presents records of the atmospheric deposition of lead and zinc close to a former metal mining area as recorded by an upland blanket peat that has accumulated on the northern slopes of the Ystwyth valley, Dyfed, mid-Wales, UK. The research objective was to explore the possibility that the peat contained a geochemical record of the pollution generated by mining activity during the last four millennia. Four monoliths were extracted from the blanket peat to reconstruct the pollution history of lead and zinc mining. Three different geochemical measurement techniques were employed, and five lead and zinc profiles have been reconstructed, two of which are radiocarbon-dated. In the radiocarbon-dated monoliths lead enrichment occurs in the peat during the Roman occupation whilst both lead and zinc concentrations increase from the Mediaeval period until the early part of the 20th century. Similar enrichment of lead and zinc is shown in the remaining profiles. Whilst other possible explanations are discussed, it is argued that the high lead concentrations represent evidence of atmospheric pollution caused by mining. Zinc, however, may have suffered from post-depositional mobility. The results of this suggest that lead is largely rendered immobile in blanket peat and can be used to reconstruct atmospheric pollution histories in former lead mining areas.

Environmental risk of trace elements in P-containing fertilizers marketed in Brazil

“…Studies have shown that peat soils close to urban and industrial areas can be enriched by TEs through atmospheric deposition (Shuttleworth et al, 2014); in addition, the metal complexation capacity of organic matter makes peat an important Pb scavenger (Farmer et al, 2005;Hosseinpur and Motaghian, 2015). There have been no studies in Brazil that quantify the levels of TEs in the peat used for organic-mineral fertilizers; however, data from the international literature have shown that high concentrations of trace elements, especially Pb, can be found in peat (Mighall et al, 2002).…”

Ancient copper and lead pollution records from a raised bog complex in Central Wales, UK

“…5). Roman lead pollution is common across the British Isles and in Europe (Mighall et al, 2002b;Bindler, 2006). The source of lead pollution at Borth Bog appears to be from a recently discovered local 1st century AD Roman smelting complex on the fringe of the Bog close to Erglodd Farm and approximately 500 m from the Flavian period Erglodd Roman Fort (Page, 2005;Timberlake, 2006).…”

“…Mighall et al, 2002a). However, once the integrity of the metals in peat are established, these geochemical archives offer the opportunity to provide evidence of early metal mining in areas devoid of unequivocal or fragmentary archaeological and historical documentary evidence and to reconstruct atmospheric pollution histories since the advent of metalworking (Mighall et al, 2002b).…”

The role of wildfire and gully erosion in particulate Pb export from contaminated peatland catchments in the southern Pennines, U.K.

“…Consequently, significant stores of Pb exist in the nearsurface layer of many peatland sites around the world (e.g. Shotyk et al, 2000;Vile et al, 2000;Mighall et al, 2002;Farmer et al, 2005;Rothwell et al, 2005).…”