Lead concentrations and isotope ratios in speleothems as proxies for atmospheric metal pollution since the industrial revolution

Mohammed Allan; Nathalie Fagel; Maité Van Rampelbergh; James Baldini; Jean Riotte; Hai Cheng; R. Lawrence Edwards; David Gillikin; Yves Quinif; Sophie Verheyden

doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.02.035

Lead concentrations and isotope ratios in speleothems as proxies for atmospheric metal pollution since the industrial revolution

Mohammed Allan, Nathalie Fagel, Maité Van Rampelbergh, James Baldini, Jean Riotte, Hai Cheng, R. Lawrence Edwards, David Gillikin, Yves Quinif, Sophie Verheyden

Earth and Environmental Sciences-Twin Cities

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

29 Scopus citations

Abstract

Lead concentrations and isotope ratios from two speleothems from the Han-sur-Lesse cave in southern Belgium were measured in order to study the ability of speleothems to act as archives of atmospheric pollution. To address this aim we analyzed trace elemental Al and Pb compositions by LA-ICP-MS and ICP-MS as well as Pb isotopes by MC-ICP-MS. The results help to identify three intervals characterized by particularly high enrichment of Pb: from 1880 to 1905. AD, from 1945 to 1965. AD, and from 1975 to 1990. AD. The speleothem record shows similar changes as the known historical atmospheric pollution level in Belgium. Lead isotope ratios discriminate between Pb sources and confirm that coal and gasoline combustion, combined with regional metallurgical activities, were the predominant Pb pollution sources in the stalagmites during the last 250. years. This study opens possibilities to determine anthropogenic versus natural metal sources in well-dated speleothem archives.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	140-150
Number of pages	11
Journal	Chemical Geology
Volume	401
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.02.035
State	Published - Apr 4 2015

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Publisher Copyright:
© 2015 Elsevier B.V.

Keywords

Atmospheric pollution
Pb isotopes
Stalagmites
Trace metals
Western Europe

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title = "Lead concentrations and isotope ratios in speleothems as proxies for atmospheric metal pollution since the industrial revolution",

abstract = "Lead concentrations and isotope ratios from two speleothems from the Han-sur-Lesse cave in southern Belgium were measured in order to study the ability of speleothems to act as archives of atmospheric pollution. To address this aim we analyzed trace elemental Al and Pb compositions by LA-ICP-MS and ICP-MS as well as Pb isotopes by MC-ICP-MS. The results help to identify three intervals characterized by particularly high enrichment of Pb: from 1880 to 1905. AD, from 1945 to 1965. AD, and from 1975 to 1990. AD. The speleothem record shows similar changes as the known historical atmospheric pollution level in Belgium. Lead isotope ratios discriminate between Pb sources and confirm that coal and gasoline combustion, combined with regional metallurgical activities, were the predominant Pb pollution sources in the stalagmites during the last 250. years. This study opens possibilities to determine anthropogenic versus natural metal sources in well-dated speleothem archives.",

keywords = "Atmospheric pollution, Pb isotopes, Stalagmites, Trace metals, Western Europe",

author = "Mohammed Allan and Nathalie Fagel and {Van Rampelbergh}, Mait{\'e} and James Baldini and Jean Riotte and Hai Cheng and Edwards, {R. Lawrence} and David Gillikin and Yves Quinif and Sophie Verheyden",

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year = "2015",

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doi = "10.1016/j.chemgeo.2015.02.035",

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AU - Allan, Mohammed

AU - Fagel, Nathalie

AU - Van Rampelbergh, Maité

AU - Baldini, James

AU - Riotte, Jean

AU - Cheng, Hai

AU - Edwards, R. Lawrence

AU - Gillikin, David

AU - Quinif, Yves

AU - Verheyden, Sophie

PY - 2015/4/4

Y1 - 2015/4/4

N2 - Lead concentrations and isotope ratios from two speleothems from the Han-sur-Lesse cave in southern Belgium were measured in order to study the ability of speleothems to act as archives of atmospheric pollution. To address this aim we analyzed trace elemental Al and Pb compositions by LA-ICP-MS and ICP-MS as well as Pb isotopes by MC-ICP-MS. The results help to identify three intervals characterized by particularly high enrichment of Pb: from 1880 to 1905. AD, from 1945 to 1965. AD, and from 1975 to 1990. AD. The speleothem record shows similar changes as the known historical atmospheric pollution level in Belgium. Lead isotope ratios discriminate between Pb sources and confirm that coal and gasoline combustion, combined with regional metallurgical activities, were the predominant Pb pollution sources in the stalagmites during the last 250. years. This study opens possibilities to determine anthropogenic versus natural metal sources in well-dated speleothem archives.

AB - Lead concentrations and isotope ratios from two speleothems from the Han-sur-Lesse cave in southern Belgium were measured in order to study the ability of speleothems to act as archives of atmospheric pollution. To address this aim we analyzed trace elemental Al and Pb compositions by LA-ICP-MS and ICP-MS as well as Pb isotopes by MC-ICP-MS. The results help to identify three intervals characterized by particularly high enrichment of Pb: from 1880 to 1905. AD, from 1945 to 1965. AD, and from 1975 to 1990. AD. The speleothem record shows similar changes as the known historical atmospheric pollution level in Belgium. Lead isotope ratios discriminate between Pb sources and confirm that coal and gasoline combustion, combined with regional metallurgical activities, were the predominant Pb pollution sources in the stalagmites during the last 250. years. This study opens possibilities to determine anthropogenic versus natural metal sources in well-dated speleothem archives.

KW - Atmospheric pollution

KW - Pb isotopes

KW - Stalagmites

KW - Trace metals

KW - Western Europe

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Lead concentrations and isotope ratios in speleothems as proxies for atmospheric metal pollution since the industrial revolution

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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