Anthropogenic trace metal

Heterogeneous distribution of Pb, Zn, Sr, Fe in a deciduous tooth study of anthropogenic trace metal exposure. 

Conko K. M. and Callender E. (1999) Extraction of anthropogenic trace metals from sediments of two US urban reservoirs. Abstracts, 1999 Fall Meeting Am. Geophys. Union. 

Hermanson M. H. (1991) Chronology and sources of anthropogenic trace metals in sediments from small, shallow arctic lakes. Environ. Sci. Technol. 25, 2059-2064. 

Anthropogenic trace metals are entering the surface waters of the B altic Sea via atmospheric and riverine inputs (Schneider et al., 2000 HELCOM, 1997,). Their transport through the water column is closely linked to the seasonal variation in biological production and the composition of suspended particulate matter. 

Top soils under forest stands show a strong enrichment of anthropogenic trace metals. However, a part of this enrichment is due to the leaching of trace metals (Lindberg and Harriss 1981). 

In coastal seawater such as the Western Mediterranean basin, soil-derived particles originated from arid areas (in this case the Sahara). The atmospheric flux of anthropogenic trace metals, however, was dominated by aerosols from industrialized regions of Western Europe. Volcanic activity (Mount Etna) contributes selenium. The atmospheric input of Cr, Hg, Pb, and Zn into the Western Mediterranean basin is of the same order of magnitude as the riverine and coastal inputs of these components (Arnold et al. 1983). For the southern bight of the North Sea, estimates even indicate a predominance of the atmospheric input of... 

Anthropogenic Trace Metal Enhancements in Coastal Waters and Embayments... 

As opposed to minimal evidence for anthropogenic trace metal contamination of open-ocean waters, it is clear that major impacts on the trace metal chemistry of coastal sea water have occurred and that these have sometimes had serious consequences. The discharge of untreated industrial and human wastes into... 

Surface water enrichment is the result of aeolian and fluvial inputs, which are thought to be the most important sources of Th to the ocean. Thorinm-232 has been proposed as a link between the radiogenic thorium isotopes and trace metals and anthropogenic pollutants. " While the pathways are very different for the radiogenic thorium isotopes, Th is delivered to the ocean in a fashion similar to many pollutants and trace metals. For example, Guo et found Th distributions in the Gulf of Mexico and off Cape Hatteras in the North Atlantic Ocean agreed well with the general distribution pattern of aluminum. 

Despite the difficulties, there have been many efforts in recent years to evaluate trace metal concentrations in natural systems and to compare trace metal release and transport rates from natural and anthropogenic sources. There is no single parameter that can summarize such comparisons. Frequently, a comparison is made between the composition of atmospheric particles and that of average crustal material to indicate whether certain elements are enriched in the atmospheric particulates. If so, some explanation is sought for the enrichment. Usually, the contribution of seaspray to the enrichment is estimated, and any enrichment unaccounted for is attributed to other natural inputs (volcanoes, low-temperature volatilization processes, etc.) or anthropogenic sources. 

Nriagu J O. Global inventory of natural and anthropogenic emissions of trace metals to the atmosphere. Nature 1979 279 409M11. 

Fig. 6.4 Calculated, estimated, or apparent salting out constants for various chemicals (a) selected aromatic compounds, (b) selected aliphatic compounds, (c) natural or surrogate hgands, (d) anthropogenic ligands, (e) sediment organic matter (SOM), (f) transition metal complexes, (g) trace metal complexes in the Mersey Estuary. Reprinted with permission from Turner A, Martino M, Le Roux SM (2002) Trace metal distribution coefficients in the Mersey Estuary UK Evidence for salting out of metal complexes. Environ Sci Technol 36 4578-4584. Copyright 2002 American Chemical Society...

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