Natural concentrations of mercury in Iceland

Coderre, Jeffrey A.; Steinþórsson, S.

doi:10.1016/0016-7037(77)90270-8

Cited by 18 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…ad 1000–1104; Gestsdóttir, ; Steffensen, ; Þórðarson, ). Hekla is a known mercury emitter (Coderre & Steinthórsson, ), which includes passive degassing between and after eruptions (D'Alessandro, ), therefore, it was expected that those settled in the region would exhibit increased mercury concentrations in bone. According to historical records, nearly all 23 eruptions since, and including the ad 1104 eruption, resulted in a toxic fallout responsible for mass mortalities of livestock (Dugmore & Véststeinsson, ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although high levels of atmospheric mercury occur in Iceland with volcanic emissions (Coderre & Steinthórsson, ), there are no sources of cinnabar ore (personal correspondence: Kristján Jónasson, Geologist, Icelandic Institute of Natural History). Therefore, mercury for medicinal purposes was imported.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Because Iceland has extensive mercury emitting volcanic activity (e.g., Mt. Hekla; see Coderre & Steinthorsson, ; Thordarson & Larsen, ), and therefore a generally higher atmospheric mercury concentration than locales where background levels were established in bone (i.e., Denmark and Germany), it is also likely that normal concentrations established in archaeological bone from Iceland begin at a higher threshold. A study that analysed contemporary bone samples demonstrated an average concentration of 0.9 ppm in older individuals (>65), but it was unable to report a concentration for younger individuals (see Miculescu et al, ).…”

Section: Mercury In Historical and Bioarchaeological Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Hekla, the aetiology of the elevated mercury concentrations is most likely only correlated with volcanogenic emissions. Although mercury was used in a number of ways at this time, including as a medicine for skin conditions (Swiderski, 2008), its use significantly increased when venereal syphilis became prominent in Europe (Parsons & Percival, 2005 Although high levels of atmospheric mercury occur in Iceland with volcanic emissions (Coderre & Steinthórsson, 1977), there are no sources of cinnabar ore (personal correspondence: Kristján Jónasson, Geologist, Icelandic Institute of Natural History). Therefore, mercury for medicinal purposes was imported.…”

Section: Trade Treatment and Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

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Volcanoes, medicine, and monasticism: Investigating mercury exposure in medieval Iceland

Walser

Kristjánsdóttir

Gowland

et al. 2018

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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This study aimed to evaluate the possible use of mercury as a medical treatment at the medieval monastic hospital Skriðuklaustur (ad 1494–1554) in eastern Iceland. The individuals excavated from Skriðuklaustur exhibited a wide range of pathological conditions, including the only skeletal evidence of venereal syphilis in Iceland. Skeletal remains from the Skeljastaðir cemetery (ca. ad 1000–1104) in southern Iceland were also analysed in light of the site's proximity to the mercury emitting volcano Hekla. The eruption produced a severe toxic fallout resulting in the mass mortality of livestock and is believed to have caused the abandonment of Skeljastaðir and the other farms in the region. The skeletal analyses and sampling were conducted according to standard anthropological methods. Mercury concentrations were determined in human (n = 50), faunal (n = 23), and soil (n = 22) samples using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Individuals from both sites exhibited elevated mercury concentrations. At Skriðuklaustur, some individuals showed normal concentrations, but those with pathological conditions (e.g., hydatidosis, syphilis, tuberculosis, and other non‐specific infections) had the highest concentrations overall. On the other hand, all the individuals analysed from Skeljastaðir exhibited elevated mercury concentrations, some of which were remarkably high. A few of the individuals buried at Skeljastaðir post‐date the eruption, possibly indicating that some of them experienced heavy exposure to volcanic emissions. The less extreme concentrations at Skriðuklaustur may be a result of attention to dosage and the temporary nature of mercurial treatments. None of the faunal and soil samples presented with concentrations exceeding the normal limit, implying that diagenesis was not a concern in this research. The conclusion is that a variety of factors from medical treatment to scholarly work lead to mercury exposure at Skriðuklaustur, whereas at Skeljastaðir, volcanogenic emissions are implicated.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Mercury In Historical and Bioarchaeological Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Trade Treatment and Exposurementioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Volcanoes, medicine, and monasticism: Investigating mercury exposure in medieval Iceland

Walser

Kristjánsdóttir

Gowland

et al. 2018

Intl J of Osteoarchaeology

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“…On the other hand, neither alkaline intraplate nor tholeiitic ocean ridge basalts appear to be particularly enriched in mercury, showing a range of 2 to 9 ppb Hg (Coderre and Steinhorsson, 1977). These authors argue that mercury is either distilled into a gas phase such as CO 2 before or during the eruption, or the magmas never contained mercury in excess of the observed low concentrations because the source area is continuously degassing, thus becoming Hg-depleted.…”

Section: On the Origin Of Mercurymentioning

confidence: 99%

Intraplate mafic magmatism, degasification, and deposition of mercury: The giant Almadén mercury deposit (Spain) revisited

Higueras

Oyarzún

Lillo

et al. 2013

Ore Geology Reviews

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The giant Almadén mercury deposit (Spain) is hosted by the Lower Silurian Criadero Quartzite; in turn this ore-bearing rock unit is cross-cut by the so-called Frailesca unit, a diatreme body of basaltic composition. The geochemical characteristics of the Silurian to Devonian Almadén District volcanic units indicate that these rocks originated from an enriched, evolving mantle source that ultimately yielded basanites-nephelinites to rhyolites, through olivine-basalts, pyroxene-basalts, trachybasalts, trachytes, very scarce rhyolites, and quartzdiabases. The Silurian intraplate alkaline volcanism developed in submarine conditions which triggered widespread hydrothermal activity resulting in Hg ore formation and pervasive alteration to carbonates. The δ 18 O, δ 13 C, and δ 34 S isotopic signatures for carbonates and pyrite suggest different sources for carbon and sulfur, including magmatic and organic for the former and magmatic and sea water for the latter. The most important and efficient natural source of mercury on Earth is by far the volcanic activity, which liberates mercury via quiescent degassing and catastrophic (Plinian) events when eruptions can overwhelm the atmospheric budget of Hg. Thus, we suggest that CO 2 degasification and coeval distillation of mercury from the volcanic rocks fed the huge hydrothermal system that led to massive deposition of mercury at Almadén. Build up of Hg 0 gas in magmatic chambers during waning rifting in the Late Ordovician, followed by renewed volcanism in the Early Silurian, would have resulted in massive degasification of the accumulated mercury. Part of this mercury went into the Criadero Quartzite leading to formation of the huge Almadén deposit and others (e.g., El Entredicho) along the same stratigraphic level. Progressive depletion of the deep seated magmatic Hg stock would have resulted in a drastic reduction in ore deposit size after the Lower Silurian when smaller deposits formed (e.g., Las Cuevas).

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Enrichments in Hg, Cd, As, and Sb in recent sediments of Azores-Iceland Ridge

Grousset

Donard

1984

Geo-Marine Letters

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Mercury, cadmium, arsenic, and antimony were analyzed in cores sampled on the Azores-Iceland Ridge. High values of 780 Ixg • kg -t for Hg, 1.7 I~g.g ~ for Cd, 87 ~g "g ~ for As, and 8, 1 ~tg. g-~ for Sb occur in the rift Valley and transform faults. These enrichments, strictly linked to the ridge, COuld not have an allochtonous origin. A local hydrogenous flux may explain this phenomenon. These metallic enrichments may be connected to a hydrothermal activity extended between 43 ° N and 47 ° N.

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Natural concentrations of mercury in Iceland

Cited by 18 publications

References 18 publications

Volcanoes, medicine, and monasticism: Investigating mercury exposure in medieval Iceland

Volcanoes, medicine, and monasticism: Investigating mercury exposure in medieval Iceland

Intraplate mafic magmatism, degasification, and deposition of mercury: The giant Almadén mercury deposit (Spain) revisited

Enrichments in Hg, Cd, As, and Sb in recent sediments of Azores-Iceland Ridge

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