The impact of severe pollution from smelter emissions on carbon and metal accumulation in peatlands in Ontario, Canada

Newman, Jodi; Levasseur, Patrick A.; Beckett, Peter; Watmough, Shaun A.

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2023.121102

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…Fens (intermediate, moderate, and poor fens) and bogs showed very similar EFs among metals indicating both types of peatlands may be useful for characterizing metal enrichment in surface peat when baseline differences in peatland chemistry are removed by calculating EF using an immobile element such as Zr, Ti or Al (Shotyk 1996). Other studies have similarly found that bogs and poor fens can be used as environmental archives of deposition of some metals (Newman et al 2023). Reimann and De Caritat (2000) argued however, that the use of EF's is awed if crustal values are used as they do not consider natural differences in peat chemistry and biogeochemical process in peatlands.…”

Section: Global Metal Enrichment Patterns In Bog and Fen Peatlandsmentioning

confidence: 81%

“…Studies by Allan et al (2013) have reported that ombrotrophic bogs may serve as an excellent and accurate archive of metals such as As, Cu, Ni, and Pb. However, reliable records of historical changes in metal deposition may also be derived from minerotrophic fens that are fed by a combination of rainwater and groundwater (Cole et al 1990;Ali et al 2008; Souter and Watmough 2016; Newman et al 2023). To account for inherent differences in peatland chemistry, enrichment factors (EFs) are often used, which provide insights into the quantity of anthropogenic versus natural emissions of metals (Hanif et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global Patterns of Metal and Other Element Enrichment in Bog and Fen Peatlands

Osborne,

Gilbert-Parkes,

Spiers

et al. 2024

Arch Environ Contam Toxicol

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Peatlands are found on all continents, covering 3% of the global land area. However, the spatial extent and causes of metal enrichment in peatlands is understudied and no attempt has been made to evaluate global patterns of metal enrichment in bog and fen peatlands, despite that certain metals and rare earth elements (REE) arise from anthropogenic sources. We analyzed 368 peat cores sampled in 16 countries across ve continents and measured metal and other element concentrations at three depths down to 70 cm as well as estimated cumulative atmospheric S deposition (1850-2009) for each site. Sites were assigned to one of three distinct broadly recognized peatland categories (bog, poor fen, and intermediateto-moderately rich fen) that varied primarily along a pH gradient. Metal concentrations differed among peatland types, with intermediate-to-moderately rich fens demonstrating the highest concentrations of most metals. Median enrichment factors (EFs; a metric comparing natural and anthropogenic metal deposition) for individual metals were similar among bogs and fens (all groups), with metals likely to be in uenced by anthropogenic sources (As, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Sb) demonstrating median enrichment factors (EFs) > 1.5. Additionally, mean EFs were substantially higher than median values, and the positive correlation (< 0.40) with estimated cumulative atmospheric S deposition, con rmed some level of anthropogenic in uence of all pollutant metals except for Hg that was unrelated to S deposition. Contrary to expectations, high EFs were not restricted to pollutant metals, with Mn, K and Rb all exhibiting elevated median EFs that were in the same range as pollutant metals likely due to peatland biogeochemical processes leading to enrichment of these nutrients in surface soil horizons. The global patterns of metal enrichment in bogs and fens identi ed in this study underscore the importance of these peatlands as environmental archives of metal deposition, but also illustrates that biogeochemical processes can enrich metals in surface peat and EFs alone do not necessarily indicate atmospheric contamination.

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Section: Global Metal Enrichment Patterns In Bog and Fen Peatlandsmentioning

confidence: 81%