Early holocene trace metal enrichment in organic lake sediments, Baffin Island, Arctic Canada

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1997 · Arctic and Alpine Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2307/1551833· OSTI ID:535139

Wolfe, A P ^[1]; Haertling, J W ^[2]

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1. Universite de Montreal, Centre-Ville (Canada)
2. Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet, Freiburg (Germany)

Trace metals having accumulated in preindustrial ({sup 14}C dated) sediments from two small, acid-sensitive, arctic lakes show unexpected stratigraphic trends. Concentrations of Cu, Cr, Pb, Ni, and Zn have successive maxima in early to mid-Holocene sediments, of amplitudes comparable to lakes affected by loading from industrial atmospheric fallout. These profiles contrast sharply the concentrations of elements primarily associated with catchment erosion (Ti, V, Zr), and are attributed to the enhanced transport of organic-bound trace metals from the catchments to the lakes in the early Holocene. Paleoliminological conditions conferred effective sedimentary sinks for each of the enriched elements, although a certain degree of diagenetic mobilization is also observed. The study verifies that natural conditions may, under specific circumstances, produce sediment chemical signatures of potentially toxic metals that bear similarities to those reported from lakes adversely impacted by atmospheric pollution. 31 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• OSTI ID: 535139
• Journal Information: Arctic and Alpine Research, Journal Name: Arctic and Alpine Research Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 29; ISSN 0004-0851; ISSN ATLPAV
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ARCTIC REGIONS
CONTAMINATION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
LAKES
METALS
QUATERNARY PERIOD
SEDIMENTS