Osmium in environmental samples from Northeast Sweden. Part II. Identification of anthropogenic sources

Rodushkin, Ilia; Engström, Emma; Sörlin, Dieke; Pontér, Christer; Baxter, Douglas C.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2007.06.012

Cited by 36 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 27 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…1). Chromites have high Os contents, and chromite smelters are known to emit Os (14). However, chromites are a less likely source because their Os isotope compositions are much lower than those found in the precipitation samples, and the Os seems to precipitate out close to the source (14).…”

Section: Anthropogenic Contributions Of Osmium In Precipitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Anthropogenic Os has been observed in estuaries (10,11), coastal sediments (12,13), and lakes (3). Aerially transmitted anthropogenic Os has been observed near chromium smelters (14) and in urban areas (11,15), where likely sources are hospital incinerators (10,16) and automobile catalytic converters (17). Smelters and incinerators represent a local contamination source, whereas automobile catalytic converters could potentially provide a much a larger source of globally dispersed Os.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Anthropogenic osmium in rain and snow reveals global-scale atmospheric contamination

Chen

Sedwick

Sharma

2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Osmium is one of the rarer elements in seawater, with typical concentration of Ϸ10 ؋ 10 ؊15 g g ؊1 (5.3 ؋ 10 ؊14 mol kg ؊1 ). The osmium isotope composition ( 187 Os/ 188 Os ratio) of deep oceans is 1.05, reflecting a balance between inputs from continental crust (Ϸ1.3) and mantle/cosmic dust (Ϸ0.13). Here, we show that the 187 Os/ 188 Os ratios measured in rain and snow collected around the world range from 0.16 to 0.48, much lower than expected (>1), but similar to the isotope composition of ores (Ϸ0.2) that are processed to extract platinum and other metals to be used primarily in automobile catalytic converters. Present-day surface seawater has a lower 187 Os/ 188 Os ratio (Ϸ0.95) than deep waters, suggesting that human activities have altered the isotope composition of the world's oceans and impacted the global geochemical cycle of osmium. The contamination of the surface ocean is particularly remarkable given that osmium has few industrial uses. The pollution may increase with growing demand for platinum-based catalysts.pollution ͉ seawater ͉ isotopes ͉ platinum group metals ͉ precipitation

show abstract

Section: Anthropogenic Contributions Of Osmium In Precipitationmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Anthropogenic osmium in rain and snow reveals global-scale atmospheric contamination

Chen

Sedwick

Sharma

2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Indeed, the accepted value of 1.4 32 does not make a consensus because this value is not site specific. 33 Therefore, only the most common R sources ratio in the literature were used-catalytic converters. R smelter is the same Os ratio for smelter emissions (2.11 measured).…”

Section: Part 2: Speciation Of Pm 25 In the Surroundingmentioning

confidence: 99%

PM_2.5 Emissions from Aluminum Smelters: Coefficients and Environmental Impact

Boullemant

2011

Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

From 2004 to 2009, aiming to better understand implications for its smelters, Rio Tinto Alcan conducted a detailed study of PM 2.5 and PM 10 (particulate matter [PM] Յ 2.5 and 10 m in aerodynamic diameter, respectively) in its facilities. This involved a two-level study: part 1, emission quantification; and part 2, assessment of aluminum smelter contribution to the surrounding environment. In the first part, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Other Test Method (OTM) OTM27 and OTM28 are assessed as relevant and efficient methods for measuring fine particle emissions from aluminum smelter stacks. Rio Tinto Alcan has also developed a safe and robust method called CYCLEX to measure PM 2.5 and condensable particulate matter (CPM) at the roof vents of potrooms. This work aims to determine the PM 2.5 emission coefficients of 17, 55, and 417 g⅐t Ϫ1 of aluminum produced (including CPM) in anode baking furnace exhaust (fume treatment center), at potroom scrubber stacks (gas treatment centers), and at potroom roof vents, respectively. Results indicate that roof vents are the primary PM 2.5 emitters (85% of all smelter emissions) and that 71% of all smelter PM 2.5 comes from CPM. In the second part, preliminary inorganic speciation studies are conducted by scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive X-ray analysis and by isotopic ratios to track smelter emissions to their surrounding environment. This paper releases the first speciation results for an aluminum smelter, and the preliminary isotopic ratio study indicates a 3% impact in terms of PM 2.5 emissions for a representative smelter in an urban area.

show abstract

“…We placed all traps in the field on 9 October 2007 and checked them after approximately 24 h. Trapped specimens were handled with powder-free surgical gloves, sealed in plastic bags, stored in a cool bag during fieldwork and stored in freezer (−18°C) before analysis. To provide information on airborne Os concentrations and isotopic compositions, we sampled and pooled fruticose pendant arboreal lichens (Bryoria spp, Alectoria spp.,~10 g consisting of >20 specimens) at each of the three localities (Rodushkin et al 2007c).…”

Section: Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only recently, accumulation of Os has been observed in cryptogams (mushrooms, mosses, and lichens) and vascular plants (e.g., bilberry, birch, and lyme grass) in northern Sweden (Rodushkin et al 2007b). The steelwork in Tornio, Finland was identified as the main source of the anthropogenic Os in the region (Rodushkin et al 2007c). To the best of our knowledge, osmium at higher trophic levels, e.g., in herbivores, has not been studied, limiting the insight into the fate of Os in the natural food web.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Uptake and Accumulation of Anthropogenic Os in Free-Living Bank Voles (Myodes glareolus)

Rodushkin

Sörlin

Baxter

et al. 2010

Water Air Soil Pollut

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Osmium tetroxide (OsO 4 ) is one of the most toxic air contaminants but its environmental effects are poorly understood. Here, for the first time, we present evidence of osmium uptake in a common herbivore (bank vole, Myodes glareolus) in boreal forests of northern Sweden. Voles (n=22) and fruticose arboreal pendular lichens, the potential main winter food source of the vole, were collected along a spatial gradient to the west of a steelwork in Tornio, Finland at the Finnish-Swedish border. 187 Os/ 188 Os isotope ratios increased and osmium concentrations decreased in lichens and voles along the gradient. Osmium concentrations in lichens were 10,000-fold higher than those in voles. Closest to the steelwork, concentrations were highest in kidneys rather than skin/fur that are directly exposed to airborne OsO 4 . The kidney-to-body weight ratio was higher at the two localities close to the steelwork. Even though based on a small sample size, our results for the first time demonstrate that osmium is taken up, partitioned, and accumulated in mammal tissue, and indicate that high kidney-to-body weight ratios might be induced by anthropogenic osmium.

show abstract

Osmium in environmental samples from Northeast Sweden. Part II. Identification of anthropogenic sources

Cited by 36 publications

References 27 publications

Anthropogenic osmium in rain and snow reveals global-scale atmospheric contamination

Anthropogenic osmium in rain and snow reveals global-scale atmospheric contamination

PM_2.5 Emissions from Aluminum Smelters: Coefficients and Environmental Impact

Uptake and Accumulation of Anthropogenic Os in Free-Living Bank Voles (Myodes glareolus)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

Osmium in environmental samples from Northeast Sweden. Part II. Identification of anthropogenic sources

Cited by 36 publications

References 27 publications

Anthropogenic osmium in rain and snow reveals global-scale atmospheric contamination

Anthropogenic osmium in rain and snow reveals global-scale atmospheric contamination

PM2.5 Emissions from Aluminum Smelters: Coefficients and Environmental Impact

Uptake and Accumulation of Anthropogenic Os in Free-Living Bank Voles (Myodes glareolus)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About

PM_2.5 Emissions from Aluminum Smelters: Coefficients and Environmental Impact