The historical record of atmospheric pyrolytic pollution over Europe registered in the sedimentary PAH from remote mountain lakes

Journal Article · Mon May 15 04:00:00 EDT 2000 · Environmental Science and Technology

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es9912271· OSTI ID:20080452

Fernandez, P; Vilanova, R M; Martinez, C; Appleby, P; Grimalt, J O

Historical records of the deposition fluxes of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in 10 remote high altitude lakes distributed throughout Europe have been studied. Cores from each site were dated radiometrically, and the results were used for the reconstruction of the pollutant changes between 1830 and present. In general, both PAH pyrolytic fluxes and concentrations increased from uniform background levels at the turn of the century to maximum values in 1960--1980. After these peak values a slight decrease to present day levels has been observed in some lakes, though they are still 3--20 times greater than the preindustrial period. Distinctive features in the downcore PAH profiles and concentrations between sites allowed for differentiation between five regions in Europe: peripheral areas (Norway and the Liberian Peninsula), Pyrenees and western Alps, central Alps, Tatra Mountains, and the Arctic. Atmospheric PAH inventories were estimated from the vertical integration of sedimentary inventories using {sup 210}Pb to correct for post depositional transport processes. This approach consistently reduces variability among lakes from the same region. The results obtained define the lakes in the Tatra mountains and that on Spits Bergen Island as those of highest and lowest atmospheric PAH input. The other lakes exhibit lower differences although their atmospheric inventory values group consistently with the above-mentioned regions.

• Research Organization: Inst. of Chemical and Environmental Research, Barcelona (ES)
• OSTI ID: 20080452
• Journal Information: Environmental Science and Technology, Journal Name: Environmental Science and Technology Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 34; ISSN ESTHAG; ISSN 0013-936X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
EUROPE
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
LAKES
MONITORING
POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS
SEDIMENTS
WATER POLLUTION