Dynamics of metallic contaminants at a basin scale--Spatial and temporal reconstruction from four sediment cores (Loire fluvial system, France).
From the 19th century, the Loire basin (France) presents potentially pollutant activities such as mining and heavy industries. This paper shows spatio-temporal distribution of trace elements in sediments at a basin-scale, based on a comparison of archived temporal signals recorded in four sedimentary cores. Anthropogenic sources contributing to sediment contamination are also characterized, using geochemical signatures recorded in river bank sediments of the most industrialized tributaries. This study highlights upstream-downstream differences concerning recorded contamination phases in terms of spatial influence and temporality of archiving processes. Such differences were related to (i) various spatial influences of contamination sources and (ii) polluted sediments dispersion controlled by transport capacity of metal-carrier phases and hydrosedimentary dynamics.
Université François Rabelais de Tours, EA 6293 GéHCO, Parc de Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France.
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Dhivert
Université François Rabelais de Tours, EA 6293 GéHCO, Parc de Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France. Electronic address: cecile.grosbois@univ-tours.fr.
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Grosbois
Université de Limoges, GRESE, 123 Avenue Albert Thomas, 87060 Limoges, France.
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Courtin-Nomade
Agence de l'Eau Loire-Bretagne, Avenue Buffon, 45063 Orleans, France.
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Bourrain
Université François Rabelais de Tours, EA 6293 GéHCO, Parc de Grandmont, 37200 Tours, France.
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Desmet
D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005602:France; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D008669:Metallurgy; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D008906:Mining; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry; D062211:Spatio-Temporal Analysis; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D008670:Metals; D014131:Trace Elements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
Contamination; Fingerprinting; Loire basin; Sediment archive; Temporal evolution; Trace elements