Geochemical trends in metal-contaminated fiord sediments near a former lead-zinc mine in West Greenland
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Disposal of sulfidic waste in marine environments implies an environmental risk due to potential release and spreading of heavy metals to sediments and biota on a regional scale. However, tailings disposal in marine systems is practised in several places. Fiord sediments near Black Angel Mine in West Greenland are contaminated by Pb and Zn as a result of mining activity and marine disposal in the period 1973-1990. Chemical analyses were performed on 6 fiord sediment cores collected up to 10 km away from the disposal area and included heavy metal analysis, high-resolution stable Pb isotope stratigraphy and radiochemical dating (210Pb). The results were used for evaluating spatial and temporal distribution of anthropogenic heavy metals from the marine disposal. A significant accumulation of Pb and Zn on a regional scale is still observed 9 years after mine closure. Stable Pb-isotope data provide a unique fingerprint of the mining-related Pb sources in the area. Today spreading of mining-related Pb up to 10 km away from the mining area accounts for more than 80% of total Pb in sediment deposited within the last 100 years.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Applied Geochemistry |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 4 |
Pages (from-to) | 493-502 |
Number of pages | 10 |
ISSN | 0883-2927 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2002 |
ID: 346057183