Anthropogenic impacts in North Poland over the last 1300 years — A record of Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni and S in an ombrotrophic peat bog

• Published in: The Science of the total environment Vol. 407; no. 21; pp. 5674 - 5684
• Main Authors: De Vleeschouwer, François, Fagel, Nathalie, Cheburkin, Andriy, Pazdur, Anna, Sikorski, Jaroslaw, Mattielli, Nadine, Renson, Virginie, Fialkiewicz, Barbara, Piotrowska, Natalia, Le Roux, Gaël
• Format: Journal Article Web Resource
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 15.10.2009; Elsevier; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Baltic Sea; Earth Sciences; Earth sciences & physical geography; Ecology, environment; Environmental Pollution - history; Environmental Sciences; Exact sciences and technology; Geochemistry; Global Changes; History, 15th Century; History, 16th Century; History, 17th Century; History, 18th Century; History, 19th Century; History, 20th Century; History, 21st Century; History, Ancient; History, Medieval; Last millennium; Lead; Lead isotopes; Life Sciences; Metal mobility; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Metals, Heavy - chemistry; Pb isotope; Peat; peatbog; Physical, chemical, mathematical & earth Sciences; Physique, chimie, mathématiques & sciences de la terre; Poland; Pollutants physicochemistry study: properties, effects, reactions, transport and distribution; Pollution; Sciences de la terre & géographie physique; Sciences of the Universe; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - chemistry; Sulfur - analysis; Sulfur - chemistry; Time Factors; trace metals; Wetlands; Poland; Europe; Pollution; Metal mobility; Lead; Lead isotopes; Poland; Peat; Last millennium; Baltic Sea; Historical reconstruction; Atmospheric fallout; Geochemistry; Zinc; Heavy metal; Cores; Trace element; Accumulation rate; Stable isotopes; Pollution source; Air pollution; Nickel; Copper; Sulfur; Ombrotrophic peat bog; Anthropogenic factor
• ISSN: 0048-9697; 1879-1026; 1879-1026
• DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2009.07.020

Lead pollution history over Northern Poland was reconstructed for the last ca. 1300 years using the elemental and Pb isotope geochemistry of a dated Polish peat bog. The data show that Polish Pb–Zn ores and coal were the main sources of Pb, other heavy metals and S over Northern Poland up until the industrial revolution. After review of the potential mobility of each element, most of the historical interpretation was based on Pb and Pb isotopes, the other chemical elements (Zn, Cu, Ni, S) being considered secondary indicators of pollution. During the last century, leaded gasoline also contributed to anthropogenic Pb pollution over Poland. Coal and Pb–Zn ores, however, remained important sources of pollution in Eastern European countries during the last 50 years, as demonstrated by a high 206Pb/ 207Pb ratio (1.153) relative to that of Western Europe ( ca. 1.10). The Pb data for the last century were also in good agreement with modelled Pb inventories over Poland and the Baltic region.