Environmental evidence of fossil fuel pollution in Laguna Chica de San Pedro lake sediments (Central Chile).
This paper describes lake sediment spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCP) profiles from Laguna Chica San Pedro, located in the Biobío Region, Chile (36 degrees 51' S, 73 degrees 05' W). The earliest presence of SCPs was found at 16 cm depth, corresponding to the 1915-1937 period, at the very onset of industrial activities in the study area. No SCPs were found at lower depths. SCP concentrations in Laguna Chica San Pedro lake sediments were directly related to local industrial activities. Moreover, no SCPs were found in Galletué lake (38 degrees 41' S, 71 degrees 17.5' W), a pristine high mountain water body used here as a reference site, suggesting that contribution from long distance atmospheric transport could be neglected, unlike published data from remote Northern Hemisphere lakes. These results are the first SCP sediment profiles from Chile, showing a direct relationship with fossil fuel consumption in the region. Cores were dated using the 210Pb technique.
Chirinos
L
L
Centro de Ciencias Ambientales EULA-Chile, Universidad de Concepción, PO Box 160-C, Concepción, Chile. lchirin@pucp.edu.pe
Rose
N L
NL
Urrutia
R
R
Muñoz
P
P
Torrejón
F
F
Torres
L
L
Cruces
F
F
Araneda
A
A
Zaror
C
C
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D002119:Calcium Carbonate / Q000032:analysis; D002677:Chile; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D005579:Fossil Fuels / Q000032:analysis*; D005618:Fresh Water; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000032:analysis*; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes / Q000032:analysis; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D010316:Particle Size; D013997:Time Factors
D000393:Air Pollutants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D005579:Fossil Fuels; D007856:Lead Radioisotopes; D002119:Calcium Carbonate