A 10,000-year record of trace metal and metalloid (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb) deposition in a western Alpine lake (Lake Robert, France): Deciphering local and regional mining contamination

Francoise Elbaz-Poulichet; S. Guédron; Anne-Lise Develle; Remi Freydier; Vincent Perrot; Magali Rossi; Christine Piot; Sophie Delpoux; Pierre Sabatier

doi:10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106076

A 10,000-year record of trace metal and metalloid (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb) deposition in a western Alpine lake (Lake Robert, France): Deciphering local and regional mining contamination

Francoise Elbaz-Poulichet, S. Guédron, Anne-Lise Develle, Remi Freydier, Vincent Perrot, Magali Rossi, Christine Piot, Sophie Delpoux, Pierre Sabatier

Chemistry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

30 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Concentrations of trace metals and metalloids (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb), major elements, stable Pb and C isotope ratios, total organic carbon (TOC), C/N atomic ratios, were analyzed in two sediment cores encompassing 10,000 years of sedimentation sampled in Lake Robert (French Alps). The results showed that the establishment of a soil cover and vegetation during the Holocene climatic optimum increased Cu and Hg deposition in sediments. Results also enabled reconstruction of the history and local vs regional origins of pollution. During the Bronze Age (1800–1000 BC), Cu mining activities increased Hg and Sb accumulation rates (AR) by a factor of 7 (Hg) and 9 (Sb) compared to pre-Bronze Age values. The rise in Hg AR was equivalent to that of the industrial era highlighting a major local Hg point source not recorded in regional archives. During the Iron Age, Pb pollution was attributed to Sicilian ores whereas during the Roman Empire Pb pollution had the isotopic signature of Spanish Pb ores. During the Medieval period (ca. AD 1200), Pb and Hg pollution was due to the exploitation of the local Ag–Pb mines. Finally, during the industrial era, metal accumulations rates were 90 (Pb), 5 (Hg) and 20 (Sb) times higher than those in the pre-Bronze Age. The isotopic composition of Pb reflected mixed sources including industrial Pb and gasoline Pb. Synchronously, the increase in Sb and Hg pollution is attributed to global and regional atmospheric pollution.

Original language	English
Article number	106076
Journal	Quaternary Science Reviews
Volume	228
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106076
Publication status	Published - Jan 2020

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We thank the municipality of Chamrousse for coring authorization and Chamrousse ski resort for access to Lake Robert. 14C analyses were acquired thanks to the CNRS-INSU ARTEMIS national radiocarbon AMS measurement program at the Laboratoire de Mesure 14C (LMC14) of the CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission) Institute at Saclay. The authors thank the Environnement, Dynamique et Territories de Montagne for the X-ray fluorescence analyses. We also greatly acknowledge G. Sarret for providing soil and tailing samples from the Brandes mine and F. Giraud and E. Janots, of the Mineralogical Collection of the Grenoble Observatory of Earth Sciences (OSUG) for providing Chalcopyrite (N°255) samples. Thank also to R. Buscail, CEFREM Perpignan for providing the N data.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 Elsevier Ltd

Access to Document

10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106076

Cite this

Elbaz-Poulichet, F., Guédron, S., Develle, A.-L., Freydier, R., Perrot, V., Rossi, M., Piot, C., Delpoux, S., & Sabatier, P. (2020). A 10,000-year record of trace metal and metalloid (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb) deposition in a western Alpine lake (Lake Robert, France): Deciphering local and regional mining contamination. Quaternary Science Reviews, 228, Article 106076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106076

@article{d63e958c792c463fbc79791d81e60218,

title = "A 10,000-year record of trace metal and metalloid (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb) deposition in a western Alpine lake (Lake Robert, France): Deciphering local and regional mining contamination",

abstract = "Concentrations of trace metals and metalloids (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb), major elements, stable Pb and C isotope ratios, total organic carbon (TOC), C/N atomic ratios, were analyzed in two sediment cores encompassing 10,000 years of sedimentation sampled in Lake Robert (French Alps). The results showed that the establishment of a soil cover and vegetation during the Holocene climatic optimum increased Cu and Hg deposition in sediments. Results also enabled reconstruction of the history and local vs regional origins of pollution. During the Bronze Age (1800–1000 BC), Cu mining activities increased Hg and Sb accumulation rates (AR) by a factor of 7 (Hg) and 9 (Sb) compared to pre-Bronze Age values. The rise in Hg AR was equivalent to that of the industrial era highlighting a major local Hg point source not recorded in regional archives. During the Iron Age, Pb pollution was attributed to Sicilian ores whereas during the Roman Empire Pb pollution had the isotopic signature of Spanish Pb ores. During the Medieval period (ca. AD 1200), Pb and Hg pollution was due to the exploitation of the local Ag–Pb mines. Finally, during the industrial era, metal accumulations rates were 90 (Pb), 5 (Hg) and 20 (Sb) times higher than those in the pre-Bronze Age. The isotopic composition of Pb reflected mixed sources including industrial Pb and gasoline Pb. Synchronously, the increase in Sb and Hg pollution is attributed to global and regional atmospheric pollution.",

author = "Francoise Elbaz-Poulichet and S. Gu{\'e}dron and Anne-Lise Develle and Remi Freydier and Vincent Perrot and Magali Rossi and Christine Piot and Sophie Delpoux and Pierre Sabatier",

note = "Funding Information: We thank the municipality of Chamrousse for coring authorization and Chamrousse ski resort for access to Lake Robert. 14C analyses were acquired thanks to the CNRS-INSU ARTEMIS national radiocarbon AMS measurement program at the Laboratoire de Mesure 14C (LMC14) of the CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission) Institute at Saclay. The authors thank the Environnement, Dynamique et Territories de Montagne for the X-ray fluorescence analyses. We also greatly acknowledge G. Sarret for providing soil and tailing samples from the Brandes mine and F. Giraud and E. Janots, of the Mineralogical Collection of the Grenoble Observatory of Earth Sciences (OSUG) for providing Chalcopyrite (N°255) samples. Thank also to R. Buscail, CEFREM Perpignan for providing the N data. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2019 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2020",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106076",

language = "English",

volume = "228",

journal = "Quaternary Science Reviews",

issn = "0277-3791",

publisher = "Elsevier Limited",

}

Elbaz-Poulichet, F, Guédron, S, Develle, A-L, Freydier, R, Perrot, V, Rossi, M, Piot, C, Delpoux, S & Sabatier, P 2020, 'A 10,000-year record of trace metal and metalloid (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb) deposition in a western Alpine lake (Lake Robert, France): Deciphering local and regional mining contamination', Quaternary Science Reviews, vol. 228, 106076. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106076

A 10,000-year record of trace metal and metalloid (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb) deposition in a western Alpine lake (Lake Robert, France): Deciphering local and regional mining contamination. / Elbaz-Poulichet, Francoise; Guédron, S.; Develle, Anne-Lise et al.
In: Quaternary Science Reviews, Vol. 228, 106076, 01.2020.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - A 10,000-year record of trace metal and metalloid (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb) deposition in a western Alpine lake (Lake Robert, France): Deciphering local and regional mining contamination

AU - Elbaz-Poulichet, Francoise

AU - Guédron, S.

AU - Develle, Anne-Lise

AU - Freydier, Remi

AU - Perrot, Vincent

AU - Rossi, Magali

AU - Piot, Christine

AU - Delpoux, Sophie

AU - Sabatier, Pierre

N1 - Funding Information: We thank the municipality of Chamrousse for coring authorization and Chamrousse ski resort for access to Lake Robert. 14C analyses were acquired thanks to the CNRS-INSU ARTEMIS national radiocarbon AMS measurement program at the Laboratoire de Mesure 14C (LMC14) of the CEA (French Atomic Energy Commission) Institute at Saclay. The authors thank the Environnement, Dynamique et Territories de Montagne for the X-ray fluorescence analyses. We also greatly acknowledge G. Sarret for providing soil and tailing samples from the Brandes mine and F. Giraud and E. Janots, of the Mineralogical Collection of the Grenoble Observatory of Earth Sciences (OSUG) for providing Chalcopyrite (N°255) samples. Thank also to R. Buscail, CEFREM Perpignan for providing the N data. Publisher Copyright: © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2020/1

Y1 - 2020/1

N2 - Concentrations of trace metals and metalloids (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb), major elements, stable Pb and C isotope ratios, total organic carbon (TOC), C/N atomic ratios, were analyzed in two sediment cores encompassing 10,000 years of sedimentation sampled in Lake Robert (French Alps). The results showed that the establishment of a soil cover and vegetation during the Holocene climatic optimum increased Cu and Hg deposition in sediments. Results also enabled reconstruction of the history and local vs regional origins of pollution. During the Bronze Age (1800–1000 BC), Cu mining activities increased Hg and Sb accumulation rates (AR) by a factor of 7 (Hg) and 9 (Sb) compared to pre-Bronze Age values. The rise in Hg AR was equivalent to that of the industrial era highlighting a major local Hg point source not recorded in regional archives. During the Iron Age, Pb pollution was attributed to Sicilian ores whereas during the Roman Empire Pb pollution had the isotopic signature of Spanish Pb ores. During the Medieval period (ca. AD 1200), Pb and Hg pollution was due to the exploitation of the local Ag–Pb mines. Finally, during the industrial era, metal accumulations rates were 90 (Pb), 5 (Hg) and 20 (Sb) times higher than those in the pre-Bronze Age. The isotopic composition of Pb reflected mixed sources including industrial Pb and gasoline Pb. Synchronously, the increase in Sb and Hg pollution is attributed to global and regional atmospheric pollution.

AB - Concentrations of trace metals and metalloids (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb), major elements, stable Pb and C isotope ratios, total organic carbon (TOC), C/N atomic ratios, were analyzed in two sediment cores encompassing 10,000 years of sedimentation sampled in Lake Robert (French Alps). The results showed that the establishment of a soil cover and vegetation during the Holocene climatic optimum increased Cu and Hg deposition in sediments. Results also enabled reconstruction of the history and local vs regional origins of pollution. During the Bronze Age (1800–1000 BC), Cu mining activities increased Hg and Sb accumulation rates (AR) by a factor of 7 (Hg) and 9 (Sb) compared to pre-Bronze Age values. The rise in Hg AR was equivalent to that of the industrial era highlighting a major local Hg point source not recorded in regional archives. During the Iron Age, Pb pollution was attributed to Sicilian ores whereas during the Roman Empire Pb pollution had the isotopic signature of Spanish Pb ores. During the Medieval period (ca. AD 1200), Pb and Hg pollution was due to the exploitation of the local Ag–Pb mines. Finally, during the industrial era, metal accumulations rates were 90 (Pb), 5 (Hg) and 20 (Sb) times higher than those in the pre-Bronze Age. The isotopic composition of Pb reflected mixed sources including industrial Pb and gasoline Pb. Synchronously, the increase in Sb and Hg pollution is attributed to global and regional atmospheric pollution.

UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106076

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85075758484&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106076

DO - 10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.106076

M3 - Article

SN - 0277-3791

VL - 228

JO - Quaternary Science Reviews

JF - Quaternary Science Reviews

M1 - 106076

ER -

A 10,000-year record of trace metal and metalloid (Cu, Hg, Sb, Pb) deposition in a western Alpine lake (Lake Robert, France): Deciphering local and regional mining contamination

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this