Antarctic-wide array of high-resolution ice core records reveals pervasive lead pollution began in 1889 and persists today

Abstract

Interior Antarctica is among the most remote places on Earth and was thought to be beyond the reach of human impacts when Amundsen and Scott raced to the South Pole in 1911. Here we show detailed measurements from an extensive array of 16 ice cores quantifying substantial toxic heavy metal lead pollution at South Pole and throughout Antarctica by 1889 – beating polar explorers by more than 22 years. Unlike the Arctic where lead pollution peaked in the 1970s, lead pollution in Antarctica was as high in the early 20th century as at any time since industrialization. The similar timing and magnitude of changes in lead deposition across Antarctica, as well as the characteristic isotopic signature of Broken Hill lead found throughout the continent, suggest that this single emission source in southern Australia was responsible for the introduction of lead pollution into Antarctica at the end of the 19th century and remains a significant source today. An estimated 660 t of industrial lead have been deposited over Antarctica during the past 130 years as a result of mid-latitude industrial emissions, with regional-to-global scale circulation likely modulating aerosol concentrations. Despite abatement efforts, significant lead pollution in Antarctica persists into the 21st century.

Widespread pollution of the South American atmosphere predates the industrial revolution by 240 y

“…4), particularly the West Antarctic sector that has been argued to be predominantly influenced by aerosol emissions from South America (35). In contrast, our record is consistent with previous findings that the earliest deposition of Pb in Antarctica originated from mining of Ag−Pb ores at Broken Hill and their smelting at Port Pirie (both in southeastern Australia) from A.D. 1889 (7,36).…”

“…2 and Fig. S2) but not in Antarctic ice cores (7). In fact, during the period A.D. 1890-1905, the Quelccaya Pb record is distinct from that reported for Antarctica (Fig.…”

“…Ice cores from the remote polar ice sheets and high-altitude glaciers receive trace elements exclusively from the atmosphere (4,5) and can therefore be used to precisely assess the possible large-scale impact of anthropogenic activities through time (6,7). In this respect, they also offer a unique, global perspective on current efforts to define the onset of the Anthropocene as defined by the International Union of Geological Sciences.…”

El Antropoceno, ¿un concepto geológico o cultural, o ambos?

“…En mayo de 2014, por ejemplo, los hallazgos de un grupo internacional de científicos del Instituto de Investigación del Desierto, en Reno, Nevada, Estados Unidos, fueron noticia en la revista Nature y rápidamente encontraron su camino en los medios de noticias diarias (McConnell et al, 2014). Estos científicos han demostrado que cuando Robert C. Scott y Roald en 1911, en una competencia por ser el primero en llegar al Polo Sur, la nieve y el hielo que se esforzaron en cruzar difícilmente era puro e intacto por la actividad humana.…”

The fate of atmospheric metal pollutants in the landscape, Snowy Mountains, south-eastern Australia

“…As a result, contamination of the atmosphere by anthropogenic metals has been documented in almost every setting in which studies have been undertaken including the Arctic (Boutron et al, 1991;Hong et al, 1994;Hong et al, 1996;Osterberg et al, 2008;Rosman et al, 1994;Wolff and Peel, 1988), Antarctica (Dick, 1991;McConnell et al, 2014;Murozumi et al, 1969;Toscano et al, 2005;Vallelonga et al, 2002;Wolff et al, 1999) and the remote oceans (Arimoto et al, 1989;Arimoto et al, 1987a;Duce et al, 1975;Shen and Boyle, 1987;Witt et al, 2006).…”