Two high resolution terrestrial records of atmospheric Pb deposition from New Brunswick, Canada, and Loch Laxford, Scotland

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 407; no. 5; pp. 1644 - 1657
• Main Authors: Kylander, Malin E., Weiss, Domink J., Kober, Bernd
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.02.2009; [Amsterdam; New York]: Elsevier Science; Elsevier
• Subjects: aerosols; Air Pollutants; Air Pollutants - analysis; analysis; Analysis methods; Applied sciences; Atmospheric deposition; Atmospheric pollution; Atmospherics; Canada; Coal; Coal mines; Dating; Deposition; England; Enrichment; Exact sciences and technology; Gasoline; Heterogeneity; Industrial; industrialization; Isotopes; Isotopes - analysis; lead; Lead (metal); Lead - analysis; Mass Spectrometry; Mass Spectrometry - methods; Matrices; MC-ICP-MS; methods; Mining; New Brunswick; organic compounds; organic matter; Pb isotope; Pb isotopes; Peat; peatlands; Petrol; Pollution; Pollution abatement; Pre-industrial; Q-ICP-MS; Reconstruction; Scoltand; Scotland; Signatures; Soil; Soil - analysis; Temporal logic; TIMS; Wales; New Brunswick; Canada; Great Britain; Europe; America; United Kingdom; Scotland; North America; Canada, New Brunswick; British Isles, Scotland; British Isles, Wales; British Isles, England; England; Wales; Pollution; Industrial; Pb isotopes; Q-ICP-MS; MC-ICP-MS; Atmospheric deposition; TIMS; Peat; Pre-industrial; High resolution; Troposphere; Identification; Isotope dating; Quadrupole spectrometer; Peat bog; Lead 204; Lead; Anthropogenic factor; Historical reconstruction; Atmospheric fallout; Lead isotopes; Biogeochemical cycle; Heavy metal; Trace element; ICP mass spectroscopy; Pollution source; Air pollution
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.10.036

Environmental archives like peat deposits allow for the reconstruction of both naturally and anthropogenically forced changes in the biogeochemical cycle of Pb as well as the quantification of past and present atmospheric Pb pollution. However, records of atmospheric Pb deposition from pre-industrial times are lacking. In a publication by Weiss et al. [Weiss, D., Shotyk, W., Boyle, E.A., Kramers, J.D., Appleby, P.G., Cheburkin, A.K., Comparative study of the temporal evolution of atmospheric lead deposition in Scotland and eastern Canada using blanket peat bogs. Sci Total Environ 2002;292:7–18]. Pb isotopes data measured by Q-ICP-MS and TIMS, concentration and enrichment data was presented for sites in eastern Canada (PeW1) and northwestern Scotland (LL7c), dating to 1586 A.D and 715 A.D., respectively. Here these same cores are re-analysed for Pb isotopes by MC-ICP-MS thereby acquiring 204Pb data and improving on the original data in terms of resolution and temporal coverage. Significant differences were found between the Q-ICP-MS/TIMS and MC-ICP-MS measurements, particularly at PeW1. These discrepancies are attributed to the problematic presence of organic matter during sample preparation and analysis complicated by the heterogeneity of the organic compounds that survived sample preparation steps. The precision and accuracy of Pb isotopes in complex matrices like peat is not always well estimated by industrial standards like NIST-SRM 981 Pb. Lead pollution histories at each site were constructed using the MC-ICP-MS data. The entire LL7c record is likely subject to anthropogenic additions. Contributions from local mining were detected in Medieval times. Later, coal use and mining in Scotland, Wales and England became important. After industrialization (ca. 1885 A.D.) contributions from Broken Hill type ores and hence, leaded petrol, dominate atmospheric Pb signatures right up to modern times. At PeW1 anthropogenic impacts are first distinguishable in the late 17th century with the mining and use of local coal. After industrialization (ca. 1810 A.D.), coal and petrol are the main Pb sources. A comprehensive estimate of the natural atmospheric background 206Pb/ 207Pb signature in eastern Canadian aerosols is made with a value of ~ 1.19.