Changes in pollutant metal concentrations in sediment cores of three lakes near Sudbury, Ontario
Conference
·
OSTI ID:40061
- LAQUIGE-CONICET, Buenos Aires (Argentina)
The concentrations of Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Fe, Mn and Cd in sediment cores from three lakes (Ramsey, McFarlane and Nelson), located in a 30 km radius around Sudbury, Ontario, have been analyzed and compared to previous cores sampled 1 5 years ago. The metal concentrations within the cores decline 10--20% in the top 0--2 cm layer, which indicates that over the past 20 years, more or less, has been a decrease in metal deposition in the area around the smelters, insinuating a decrease in the emissions after the construction of the superstack at Copper Cliff in 1982, and the shut down of the smelter in Coniston. However, while the concentrations in the cores from Nelson Lake, which is the most distant of the three lakes analyzed, decreased approximately 50% with respect to the previous values, in Ramsey Lake they maintained its old level, and in McFarlane Lake the values increased for some elements threefold. This high local accumulation might be caused by transport of the emitted particles from the superstack by the prevailing winds, depositing them farther away than before. The magnitude of the values coincide with those found by other authors in soil samples taken around the smelters. This suggests that the metal concentrations found in the sediments may not only be originated by direct airborne deposition, but also by surface runoff and leaching of the metals from the surrounding soils.
- OSTI ID:
- 40061
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9410273--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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