Anthropogenic atmospheric deposition caused the nutrient and toxic metal enrichment of the enclosed lakes in North China

Panpan Ji; Jianhui Chen; Aifeng Zhou; Ruijin Chen; Guoqiang Ding; Haipeng Wang; Shengqian Chen; Fahu Chen

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130972

Anthropogenic atmospheric deposition caused the nutrient and toxic metal enrichment of the enclosed lakes in North China

J Hazard Mater. 2023 Apr 15:448:130972. doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130972. Epub 2023 Feb 8.

Authors

Panpan Ji¹, Jianhui Chen², Aifeng Zhou¹, Ruijin Chen¹, Guoqiang Ding¹, Haipeng Wang³, Shengqian Chen⁴, Fahu Chen⁵

Affiliations

¹ MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
² MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China. Electronic address: jhchen@lzu.edu.cn.
³ State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.
⁴ ALPHA, State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITPCAS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China.
⁵ MOE Key Laboratory of Western China's Environmental System, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; ALPHA, State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research (ITPCAS), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.

PMID: 36860080
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2023.130972

Abstract

Anthropogenic emissions have resulted in increases in the atmospheric fluxes of both nutrient and toxic elements. However, the long-term geochemical impacts on lake sediments of deposition activities have not been clearly clarified. We selected two small enclosed lakes in northern China-Gonghai, strongly influenced by anthropogenic activities, and Yueliang lake, relatively weakly influenced by anthropogenic activities-to reconstruct historical trends of atmospheric deposition on the geochemistry of the recent sediments. The results showed an abrupt rise in the nutrient levels in Gonghai and the enrichment of toxic metal elements from 1950 (the Anthropocene) onwards. While, at Yueliang lake, the rise on TN was from 1990 onwards. These consequences are attributable to the aggravation of anthropogenic atmospheric deposition in N, P and toxic metals, from fertilizer consumption, mining and coal combustion. The intensity of anthropogenic deposition is considerable, which leave a significant stratigraphic signal of the Anthropocene in lake sediments.

Keywords: Human activities; Lake sediments; Metal aerosols; Nitrogen deposition; The Anthropocene.