Anthropogenic osmium in rain and snow reveals global-scale atmospheric contamination.
Osmium is one of the rarer elements in seawater, with typical concentration of approximately 10 x 10(-15) g g(-1) (5.3 x 10(-14) mol kg(-1)). The osmium isotope composition ((187)Os/(188)Os ratio) of deep oceans is 1.05, reflecting a balance between inputs from continental crust (approximately 1.3) and mantle/cosmic dust (approximately 0.13). Here, we show that the (187)Os/(188)Os ratios measured in rain and snow collected around the world range from 0.16 to 0.48, much lower than expected (>1), but similar to the isotope composition of ores (approximately 0.2) that are processed to extract platinum and other metals to be used primarily in automobile catalytic converters. Present-day surface seawater has a lower (187)Os/(188)Os ratio (approximately 0.95) than deep waters, suggesting that human activities have altered the isotope composition of the world's oceans and impacted the global geochemical cycle of osmium. The contamination of the surface ocean is particularly remarkable given that osmium has few industrial uses. The pollution may increase with growing demand for platinum-based catalysts.
Chen
Cynthia
C
Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry Laboratory, Department of Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, 6105 Sherman Fairchild Hall, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
Sedwick
Peter N
PN
Sharma
Mukul
M
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001336:Automobiles; D002384:Catalysis; D004583:Electrons; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004787:Environmental Pollution; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D009992:Osmium / Q000032:analysis*; D010984:Platinum / Q000032:analysis; D011891:Rain; D012914:Snow
D000393:Air Pollutants; D009992:Osmium; D010984:Platinum