Modern pollution signals in sediments from Windermere, NW England, determined by micro-XRF and lead isotope analysis
Modern pollution signals in sediments from Windermere, NW England, determined by micro-XRF and lead isotope analysis
High resolution geochemical (Itrax micro-XRF and wavelength dispersive XRF) data, radiochronology (210Pb and 137Cs analyses) and ultra-high precision double-spike lead isotope measurements from lacustrine sediment cores are used in combination with historical research of former mining landscapes to investigate modern pollution signals in sediments from Windermere, the largest lake in the English Lake District. The sediment record suggests that while most element concentrations have been stable, there has been a significant increase since the 1930s in lead, zinc and copper concentrations. Double-spike lead isotope measurements reveal a mixture of natural lead, and three major contributory sources of anthropogenic (industrial) lead, comprising gasoline lead, coal combustion lead (from coal-fired steam ships) and lead derived from Carboniferous Pb–Zn mineralisation (mining activities). A number of up-system sediment traps have limited the amount of mining related heavy metals entering Windermere, and as a result, periods of metal workings do not correlate with peaks in heavy metals. Increases could also be due to flood-induced metal inwash or weathering of bedrock in the catchment. Application of these non-destructive and high precision analytical techniques provides new insights into the pollutant depositional history of Windermere.
978-9401798488
423-442
Miller, H.
ae9e9e7c-5fac-4031-a58a-bd71d74b36df
Croudace, I.W.
24deb068-d096-485e-8a23-a32b7a68afaf
Bull, J.M.
974037fd-544b-458f-98cc-ce8eca89e3c8
Cotterill, C.J.
256cbaac-35fb-424d-aee1-338cdfe025ab
Dix, J.K.
efbb0b6e-7dfd-47e1-ae96-92412bd45628
Taylor, R.N.
094be7fd-ef61-4acd-a795-7daba2bc6183
22 July 2015
Miller, H.
ae9e9e7c-5fac-4031-a58a-bd71d74b36df
Croudace, I.W.
24deb068-d096-485e-8a23-a32b7a68afaf
Bull, J.M.
974037fd-544b-458f-98cc-ce8eca89e3c8
Cotterill, C.J.
256cbaac-35fb-424d-aee1-338cdfe025ab
Dix, J.K.
efbb0b6e-7dfd-47e1-ae96-92412bd45628
Taylor, R.N.
094be7fd-ef61-4acd-a795-7daba2bc6183
Miller, H., Croudace, I.W., Bull, J.M., Cotterill, C.J., Dix, J.K. and Taylor, R.N.
(2015)
Modern pollution signals in sediments from Windermere, NW England, determined by micro-XRF and lead isotope analysis.
In,
Croudace, I,W. and Rothwell, R.G.
(eds.)
Micro-XRF Studies of Sediment Cores: Applications of a Non-destructive Tool for the Environmental Sciences: Part III.
(Developments in Paleoenvironmental Research, 17)
Dordrecht, NL.
Springer, .
(doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9849-5_16).
Record type:
Book Section
Abstract
High resolution geochemical (Itrax micro-XRF and wavelength dispersive XRF) data, radiochronology (210Pb and 137Cs analyses) and ultra-high precision double-spike lead isotope measurements from lacustrine sediment cores are used in combination with historical research of former mining landscapes to investigate modern pollution signals in sediments from Windermere, the largest lake in the English Lake District. The sediment record suggests that while most element concentrations have been stable, there has been a significant increase since the 1930s in lead, zinc and copper concentrations. Double-spike lead isotope measurements reveal a mixture of natural lead, and three major contributory sources of anthropogenic (industrial) lead, comprising gasoline lead, coal combustion lead (from coal-fired steam ships) and lead derived from Carboniferous Pb–Zn mineralisation (mining activities). A number of up-system sediment traps have limited the amount of mining related heavy metals entering Windermere, and as a result, periods of metal workings do not correlate with peaks in heavy metals. Increases could also be due to flood-induced metal inwash or weathering of bedrock in the catchment. Application of these non-destructive and high precision analytical techniques provides new insights into the pollutant depositional history of Windermere.
Text
miller-book-chapter_preprint.pdf
- Accepted Manuscript
More information
Published date: 22 July 2015
Organisations:
Geochemistry
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 380327
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/380327
ISBN: 978-9401798488
ISSN: 1571-5299
PURE UUID: 7d88c44c-e1b2-4ef1-9433-78de0d64d9bc
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Date deposited: 12 Aug 2015 13:20
Last modified: 15 Mar 2024 02:50
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Contributors
Author:
H. Miller
Author:
C.J. Cotterill
Editor:
I,W. Croudace
Editor:
R.G. Rothwell
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