History of atmospheric lead deposition since 12,370 (14)C yr BP from a peat bog, jura mountains, switzerland
A continuous record of atmospheric lead since 12,370 carbon-14 years before the present (14C yr BP) is preserved in a Swiss peat bog. Enhanced fluxes caused by climate changes reached their maxima 10, 590 (14)C yr BP (Younger Dryas) and 8230 (14)C yr BP. Soil erosion caused by forest clearing and agricultural tillage increased lead deposition after 5320 (14)C yr BP. Increasing lead/scandium and decreasing lead-206/lead-207 beginning 3000 (14)C yr BP indicate the beginning of lead pollution from mining and smelting, and anthropogenic sources have dominated lead emissions ever since. The greatest lead flux (15.7 milligrams per square meter per year in A.D. 1979) was 1570 times the natural, background value (0.01 milligram per square meter per year from 8030 to 5320 (14)C yr BP).
Shotyk
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W. Shotyk and D. Weiss are at the Geological Institute, University of Berne, Baltzerstrasse 1, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland. P. G. Appleby is in the Environmental Radiometric Research Centre, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Universit.
Weiss
D
Appleby
PG
Cheburkin
AK
Gloor
RFM
Kramers
JD
Reese
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Van Der Knaap WO