Anthropogenic forcings on the surficial osmium cycle

Sebastien Rauch; Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink; Malin E. Kylander; Dominik J. Weiss; Antonio Martinez-Cortizas; David Heslop; Carolina Olid; Tim M. Mighall; Harold F. Hemond

doi:10.1021/es901887f

Anthropogenic forcings on the surficial osmium cycle

Sebastien Rauch^*, Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink, Malin E. Kylander, Dominik J. Weiss, Antonio Martinez-Cortizas, David Heslop, Carolina Olid, Tim M. Mighall, Harold F. Hemond

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Osmium is among the least abundant elements in the Earth's continental crust. Recent anthropogenic Os contamination of the environment from mining and smelting activities, automotive catalytic converter use, and hospital discharges has been documented. Here we present evidence for anthropogenic overprinting of the natural Os cycle using a ca. 7000-year record of atmospheric Os deposition and isotopic composition from an ombrotrophic peat bog in NW Spain. Preanthropogenic Os accumulation in this area is 0.10 ± 0.04 ng m ^-2 y^-1. The oldest strata showing human influence correspond to early metal mining and processing on the Iberian Peninsula (ca. 4700-2500 cal. BP). Elevated Os accumulation rates are found thereafter with a local maximum of 1.1 ng m^-2 y^-1 during the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula (ca. 1930 cal. BP)andafurther increase starting in 1750ADwithOsaccumulation reaching 30 ng m^-2 y ^-1 in the most recent samples. Osmium isotopic composition ( ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os) indicates that recent elevated Os accumulation results from increased input of unradiogenic Os from industrialand automotive sources as well as from enhanced deposition of radiogenic Os through increased fossil fuel combustion and soil erosion. We posit that the rapid increase in catalyst-equipped vehicles, increased fossil fuel combustion, and changes in land-use make the changes observed in NW Spain globally relevant.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	881-887
Number of pages	7
Journal	Environmental Science and Technology
Volume	44
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1021/es901887f
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2010
Externally published	Yes

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@article{954411448693471fa89b7ac3c57c594c,

title = "Anthropogenic forcings on the surficial osmium cycle",

abstract = "Osmium is among the least abundant elements in the Earth's continental crust. Recent anthropogenic Os contamination of the environment from mining and smelting activities, automotive catalytic converter use, and hospital discharges has been documented. Here we present evidence for anthropogenic overprinting of the natural Os cycle using a ca. 7000-year record of atmospheric Os deposition and isotopic composition from an ombrotrophic peat bog in NW Spain. Preanthropogenic Os accumulation in this area is 0.10 ± 0.04 ng m -2 y-1. The oldest strata showing human influence correspond to early metal mining and processing on the Iberian Peninsula (ca. 4700-2500 cal. BP). Elevated Os accumulation rates are found thereafter with a local maximum of 1.1 ng m-2 y-1 during the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula (ca. 1930 cal. BP)andafurther increase starting in 1750ADwithOsaccumulation reaching 30 ng m-2 y -1 in the most recent samples. Osmium isotopic composition ( 187Os/188Os) indicates that recent elevated Os accumulation results from increased input of unradiogenic Os from industrialand automotive sources as well as from enhanced deposition of radiogenic Os through increased fossil fuel combustion and soil erosion. We posit that the rapid increase in catalyst-equipped vehicles, increased fossil fuel combustion, and changes in land-use make the changes observed in NW Spain globally relevant.",

author = "Sebastien Rauch and Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink and Kylander, {Malin E.} and Weiss, {Dominik J.} and Antonio Martinez-Cortizas and David Heslop and Carolina Olid and Mighall, {Tim M.} and Hemond, {Harold F.}",

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doi = "10.1021/es901887f",

language = "English",

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journal = "Environmental Science and Technology",

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T1 - Anthropogenic forcings on the surficial osmium cycle

AU - Rauch, Sebastien

AU - Peucker-Ehrenbrink, Bernhard

AU - Kylander, Malin E.

AU - Weiss, Dominik J.

AU - Martinez-Cortizas, Antonio

AU - Heslop, David

AU - Olid, Carolina

AU - Mighall, Tim M.

AU - Hemond, Harold F.

PY - 2010/2/1

Y1 - 2010/2/1

N2 - Osmium is among the least abundant elements in the Earth's continental crust. Recent anthropogenic Os contamination of the environment from mining and smelting activities, automotive catalytic converter use, and hospital discharges has been documented. Here we present evidence for anthropogenic overprinting of the natural Os cycle using a ca. 7000-year record of atmospheric Os deposition and isotopic composition from an ombrotrophic peat bog in NW Spain. Preanthropogenic Os accumulation in this area is 0.10 ± 0.04 ng m -2 y-1. The oldest strata showing human influence correspond to early metal mining and processing on the Iberian Peninsula (ca. 4700-2500 cal. BP). Elevated Os accumulation rates are found thereafter with a local maximum of 1.1 ng m-2 y-1 during the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula (ca. 1930 cal. BP)andafurther increase starting in 1750ADwithOsaccumulation reaching 30 ng m-2 y -1 in the most recent samples. Osmium isotopic composition ( 187Os/188Os) indicates that recent elevated Os accumulation results from increased input of unradiogenic Os from industrialand automotive sources as well as from enhanced deposition of radiogenic Os through increased fossil fuel combustion and soil erosion. We posit that the rapid increase in catalyst-equipped vehicles, increased fossil fuel combustion, and changes in land-use make the changes observed in NW Spain globally relevant.

AB - Osmium is among the least abundant elements in the Earth's continental crust. Recent anthropogenic Os contamination of the environment from mining and smelting activities, automotive catalytic converter use, and hospital discharges has been documented. Here we present evidence for anthropogenic overprinting of the natural Os cycle using a ca. 7000-year record of atmospheric Os deposition and isotopic composition from an ombrotrophic peat bog in NW Spain. Preanthropogenic Os accumulation in this area is 0.10 ± 0.04 ng m -2 y-1. The oldest strata showing human influence correspond to early metal mining and processing on the Iberian Peninsula (ca. 4700-2500 cal. BP). Elevated Os accumulation rates are found thereafter with a local maximum of 1.1 ng m-2 y-1 during the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula (ca. 1930 cal. BP)andafurther increase starting in 1750ADwithOsaccumulation reaching 30 ng m-2 y -1 in the most recent samples. Osmium isotopic composition ( 187Os/188Os) indicates that recent elevated Os accumulation results from increased input of unradiogenic Os from industrialand automotive sources as well as from enhanced deposition of radiogenic Os through increased fossil fuel combustion and soil erosion. We posit that the rapid increase in catalyst-equipped vehicles, increased fossil fuel combustion, and changes in land-use make the changes observed in NW Spain globally relevant.

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U2 - 10.1021/es901887f

DO - 10.1021/es901887f

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JO - Environmental Science and Technology

JF - Environmental Science and Technology

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Anthropogenic forcings on the surficial osmium cycle

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