Atmospheric fluxes and geochemistries of stable PB, PB-210, and PO-210 in Crystal Lake, Wisconsin

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1981

OSTI ID:5479460

Talbot, R W

In a lake system where atmospheric input greatly exceeds all other source inputs, the atmospheric supply, water column transport, and sediment accumulation should be coupled. This research examined the exchange of lead between these metal compartments. The approach was to use Pb-210 as a natural tracer to provide experimental evidence concerning the movement of lead between various compartments linking the geochemical regime of lead in an integrated lake system. This research was conducted in Crystal Lake, Wisconsin, an oligotrophic, non-calcareous, seepage lake. The lake has a surface area of 31 ha and a maximum depth of 21m. Crystal Lake is located in a semi-remote, heavily forested area of north central Wisconsin. The atmosphere serves as the principal route for transport of material to the lake. Stable Pb concentrations in the water column are of the order of 200 ng kg/sup -1/. At least 85% of the atmospheric input of Pb and Pb-210 to Crystal Lake occurs via wet deposition. More than 80% of the Pb entering the lake appears to be derived from anthropogenic sources. This input of anthropogenic Pb has resulted in an 8-fold increase in sediment Pb concentrations from 19 ..mu..g g/sup -1/ to 145 ..mu..g g/sup -1/ over the past 150 years. The net removal of Pb-210 from the water column occurred primarily as short-term deposition events. Deposition of Pb-210 was enhanced by elevated biological activity during bloom periods. Accelerated deposition of Pb-210 was also observed during fall turnover. The rate of deposition during these events exceeded the annual mean rate of 1.81 dpm cm/sup -2/y/sup -1/ by 2 to 3-fold. Over the whole year the rate of Pb-210 deposition varied by as much as an order of magnitude. Deposition of Pb-210 was most rapid during the productive stratified period averaging 2.09 dpm cm/sup -2/y/sup -1/. At least 90% of the standing crop of Po-210 in Crystal Lake is formed in-situ by decay of atmospherically supplied Pb-210.

• OSTI ID: 5479460
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
520200 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR POLLUTION
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
DAYS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ELEMENTS
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
FEDERAL REGION V
GEOCHEMISTRY
HEAVY NUCLEI
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPES
LAKES
LEAD
LEAD 210
LEAD ISOTOPES
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
NORTH AMERICA
NUCLEI
POLLUTION
POLONIUM 210
POLONIUM ISOTOPES
RADIOISOTOPES
SEDIMENTS
SURFACE WATERS
TRACER TECHNIQUES
USA
WATER POLLUTION
WISCONSIN
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES