The historic built environment as a long-term geochemical archive: telling the time on the urban “pollution clock”
The historic built environment as a long-term geochemical archive: telling the time on the urban “pollution clock”
This study introduces a novel methodology for utilizing historic built environments as reliable long-term geochemical archives, addressing a gap in the reconstruction of past anthropogenic pollution levels in urban settings. For the first time, we employ high-resolution laser ablation mass spectrometry for lead isotope (206Pb/207Pb and 208Pb/206Pb) analysis on 350-yearold black crust stratigraphies found on historic built structures, providing insights into past air pollution signatures. Our findings reveal a gradual shift in the crust stratigraphy toward lower 206Pb/207Pb and higher 208Pb/206Pb isotope ratios from the older to the younger layers, indicating changes in lead sources over time. Mass balance analysis of the isotope data shows black crust layers formed since 1669 primarily contain over 90% Pb from coal burning, while other lead sources from a set of modern pollution including but not limited to leaded gasoline (introduced after 1920) become dominant (up to 60%) from 1875 onward. In contrast to global archives such as ice cores that provide integrated signals of long-distance pollution, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of localized pollution levels, specifically in urban settings. Our approach complements multiple sources of evidence,
enhancing our understanding of air pollution dynamics and trends, and the impact of human activities on urban environments.
black crusts, coal burning, heavy metals, laser ablation ICP-MS, limestone, paleopollution, Pb isotope ratios, urban pollution
12362-12375
Wilhelm, Katrin
125fb791-70bc-457e-99c9-f9c5a26d1a1a
Longman, Jack
f87d3725-9e1d-469c-83a2-2df3caa7b9ee
Standish, Christopher
0b996271-da5d-4c4f-9e05-a2ec90e8561d
De Kock, Tim
18e9be96-d462-4451-8a51-5d63482db22a
12 July 2023
Wilhelm, Katrin
125fb791-70bc-457e-99c9-f9c5a26d1a1a
Longman, Jack
f87d3725-9e1d-469c-83a2-2df3caa7b9ee
Standish, Christopher
0b996271-da5d-4c4f-9e05-a2ec90e8561d
De Kock, Tim
18e9be96-d462-4451-8a51-5d63482db22a
Wilhelm, Katrin, Longman, Jack, Standish, Christopher and De Kock, Tim
(2023)
The historic built environment as a long-term geochemical archive: telling the time on the urban “pollution clock”.
Environmental Science & Technology, 57 (33), .
(doi:10.1021/acs.est.3c00153).
Abstract
This study introduces a novel methodology for utilizing historic built environments as reliable long-term geochemical archives, addressing a gap in the reconstruction of past anthropogenic pollution levels in urban settings. For the first time, we employ high-resolution laser ablation mass spectrometry for lead isotope (206Pb/207Pb and 208Pb/206Pb) analysis on 350-yearold black crust stratigraphies found on historic built structures, providing insights into past air pollution signatures. Our findings reveal a gradual shift in the crust stratigraphy toward lower 206Pb/207Pb and higher 208Pb/206Pb isotope ratios from the older to the younger layers, indicating changes in lead sources over time. Mass balance analysis of the isotope data shows black crust layers formed since 1669 primarily contain over 90% Pb from coal burning, while other lead sources from a set of modern pollution including but not limited to leaded gasoline (introduced after 1920) become dominant (up to 60%) from 1875 onward. In contrast to global archives such as ice cores that provide integrated signals of long-distance pollution, our study contributes to a deeper understanding of localized pollution levels, specifically in urban settings. Our approach complements multiple sources of evidence,
enhancing our understanding of air pollution dynamics and trends, and the impact of human activities on urban environments.
Text
Wilhelm et al 2023 The Historic Built Environment As a Long-Term Geochemical Archive
- Version of Record
More information
Accepted/In Press date: 27 June 2023
e-pub ahead of print date: 12 July 2023
Published date: 12 July 2023
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
The research team would like to express thanks to Lisa Brionne-Gray, Operations Manager at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford), Danielle Battigelli (former EA, History of Science Museum), the joiners team from the Estate Services (University of Oxford), Emilia McDonald (Head of Conservation and Buildings at Estates Services), Sir Jonathan Bate (Provost, Worcester College, Oxford), Simon Bragnall (Head of Gardens, Worcester College, Oxford), Sophie (Fe) Torrance (Harcourt Arboretum, University of Oxford), Ella Quincy (The Old Country House, Malvern) for allowing and helping us to take samples. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Heather Viles and Martin Coombes for their unwavering belief in our research and continuous support as well as Chess Black and Madeleine Katkov for initiating the first contact which allowed us to fully unlock the potential of the Sheldonian Heads. We also thank Dan Doran (University of Southampton) for mounting the samples and standards for laser ablation MC-ICP-MS, along with Andy Milton, Agnieszka Michalik, and Rex Taylor (University of Southampton) for assistance with the solution MC-ICP-MS analyses. This publication arises from research funded by the John Fell Oxford University Press Research Fund.
Funding Information:
This publication arises from research funded by the John Fell Oxford University Press Research Fund.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society
Keywords:
black crusts, coal burning, heavy metals, laser ablation ICP-MS, limestone, paleopollution, Pb isotope ratios, urban pollution
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 479093
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/479093
ISSN: 0013-936X
PURE UUID: 5191a0b9-d40a-45e9-9526-6ef271c6a1b2
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Date deposited: 20 Jul 2023 16:33
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:35
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Author:
Katrin Wilhelm
Author:
Jack Longman
Author:
Tim De Kock
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