The Medieval Metal Industry Was the Cradle of Modern Large-Scale Atmospheric Lead Pollution in Northern Europe

Autor:	Maja-Lena Brännvall, Kjell Billström, Ove Emteryd, Jerzy Bartnicki, Ingemar Renberg, Richard Bindler
Rok vydání:	1999
Předmět:	Pollution Pollutant Hydrology media_common.quotation_subject Earth science Lead (sea ice) Air pollution General Chemistry medicine.disease_cause medicine Period (geology) Environmental Chemistry Environmental science Ecosystem Water pollution media_common Isotope analysis
Zdroj:	Environmental Science & Technology. 33:4391-4395
ISSN:	1520-5851 0013-936X
Popis:	There is great concern for contamination of sensitive ecosystems in high latitudes by long-range transport of heavy metals and other pollutants derived from industrial areas in lower latitudes. Atmospheric pollution of heavy metals has a very long history, and since metals accumulate in the environment, understanding of present-day pollution conditions requires knowledge of past atmospheric deposition. We use analyses of lead concentrations and stable lead isotopes (206Pb/207Pb ratios) of annually laminated sediments from four lakes in northern Sweden (∼65° N) to provide a decadal record of atmospheric lead pollution for the last 3000 years. There is a clear signal in the sediments of airborne pollution from Greek and Roman cultures 2000 years ago, followed by a period of “clean” conditions 400−900 A.D. From 900 A.D. there was a conspicuous, permanent increase in atmospheric lead pollution fallout. The sediments reveal peaks in atmospheric lead pollution at 1200 and 1530 A.D. comparable to present-day lev...
Databáze:	OpenAIRE
Externí odkaz:	https://explore.openaire.eu/search/publication?articleId=doi_________::2c81689456a7691b721dab4da99b3602 https://doi.org/10.1021/es990279n Zobrazit plný text záznamu