Tracking the legacy of early industrial activity in sediments of Lake Zurich, Switzerland
- Author(s)
- EAWAG zürich, Adrian Gilli, Bernhard Wehrli, Robin Sue Gilli, Jan Georg Wiederhold, Nathalie Dubois
- Abstract
Historical industrial activities at the Horn Richterwil, on the shore of Lake Zurich (Switzerland), caused widespread metal contamination on land and in the adjacent lake sediments. This study provides an estimation of the age and source of the contamination by using XRF core scanning, ICP-OES, and Hg-AFS for quantitative measurements of trace metals and MC-ICP-MS for the stable isotope analysis of mercury. Radiometric dating ([Formula: see text]Cs, [Formula: see text]Pb, and Pu dating) of two proximal cores and varve chronology in a distal core suggest two different contaminations, one stemming from around 1960 (Zn, Cd) and an earlier one from 1880 (Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sn). The XRF data suggest two different contamination pathways: one by landfill of contaminated soil and another one by industrial wastewater effluents. Maximum concentrations found within all samples are in the range of per mil (dry weight) for Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, Sn, and Zn and lie within the top 10 cm of the sediment cores. The analysis of the mercury isotopic composition ([Formula: see text]Hg and [Formula: see text]Hg) shows a significantly different signature for one of the cores, indicating a second mercury source. We could not identify the exact source or process leading to the isotopic fractionation of mercury, but the isotopic data confirm two different sources.
- Organisation(s)
- External organisation(s)
- Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Eidgenössische Anstalt für Wasserversorgung, Abwasserreinigung und Gewässerschutz
- Journal
- Environmental Science and Pollution Research
- Volume
- 29
- Pages
- 85789-85801
- No. of pages
- 13
- ISSN
- 0944-1344
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-21288-6
- Publication date
- 12-2022
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105105 Geochemistry, 104023 Environmental chemistry, 105906 Environmental geosciences, 106026 Ecosystem research
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pollution, Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis, Environmental Chemistry
- Portal url
- https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/tracking-the-legacy-of-early-industrial-activity-in-sediments-of-lake-zurich-switzerland(a1e4d789-cc3f-44e5-99e7-7ac92580f529).html