Changes in lead, zinc, copper, dry weight, and organic matter content of the forest floor of white pine stands in central Massachusetts over 16 years

Siccama, Thomas G.; Smith, William H.; Mader, Donald L.

doi:10.1021/es60161a002

Cited by 64 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Trace elements sorb to terrestrial sediments, vegetation, and soil organic matter in forests, where they are relatively immobile (Siccama et al 1980;Friedland et al 1984;Biswas et al 2007;Obrist et al 2008). However, these contaminants are released in more labile forms when vegetation and soil organic matter are burned and volatilized by fire (Young and Jan 1977;Biswas et al 2007;Wiedinmyer and Friedli 2007).…”

Section: Remobilization Of Trace Elements By Forest Firesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remobilization of trace elements by forest fire in Patagonia, Chile

et al. 2015

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Temporal changes in the amounts of trace elements (As, Co, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) and their correlations with temporal changes in charcoal abundance in age-dated sediments collected from Lake Thompson in Patagonia, Chile, attest to the substantial pyrogenic remobilization of contaminants that occurred in Patagonia during the mid-1900s. This remobilization was concurrent with the extensive slash and burn period in the region during that period. The changes in concentrations of Co, Cu, and Ni in relation to charcoal abundance in the lacustrine sediments over time were small compared to those of As, Mn, Pb, and Zn. However, the relatively low enrichment factors of all those trace elements, normalized to Fe, indicate that they were predominantly derived from local, natural sources impacted by fires rather than industrial sources. The primarily local source of Pb in the sediments was corroborated by the temporal consistency of its isotopic ratios ( 206 Pb/ 207 Pb: 208 Pb/ 206 Pb), which were similar to previously reported values for natural lead in Central and Southern Chile. However, the pyrogenic remobilization of both natural and industrial trace elements by forest fires in Chile and elsewhere is expected to rise as a consequence of climate change, which is projected to increase both the frequency and intensity of forest fires on a global scale.

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Section: Remobilization Of Trace Elements By Forest Firesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remobilization of trace elements by forest fire in Patagonia, Chile

et al. 2015

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“…For example, Siccama and Smith (1980) found that Pb increased from 39 to 71 mg kg −1 in L in eastern white pine stands from 1962 to 1978, whereas increases for Zn were much lower, 60 to 65 mg kg −1 , and Cu declined from 12 to 8 mg kg −1 . Friedland et al (1984) found that Pb increased 95% in the F horizon of Camel's Hump, Vermont between 1966 and 1977, while Cu and Zn increased 32 and 48%, respectively.…”

Section: Trace Metalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Concentrations of Major Elements and Trace Metals in Northeastern U.S.-Canadian Sub-Alpine Forest Floors

Evans¹,

Norton

Fernandez

et al. 2005

Water Air Soil Pollut

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The forest floor at high elevation spruce-fir sites from southern Vermont, U.S. to the Gaspé Peninsula, Québec, Canada was sampled and analyzed in 1979 and re-sampled and analyzed in 1996 to study temporal changes in the impacts of atmospheric pollutants. We determined organic matter mass, pH, and concentrations of Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn for the litter (L = fresh litter plus Oi horizon) and fermentation plus humic horizons (F + H) (= Oe plus Oa horizons) of the forest floor. There were no trends for Al or Fe concentrations in the 1979 or 1996 L along the transect. Several sites had significantly lower Al and Fe values in 1996 than in 1979, likely indicating less mineral soil in the 1996 samples. The 1996 concentrations of Ca in L increased along the transect from 0.22% dry weight (dw) in Vermont to 0.60% dw in Québec. Concentrations of Mg in L were relatively constant along the transect. Neither Ca nor Mg changed at sites from 1979 to 1996, indicating unchanged base status. Concentrations of Cd did not vary spatially along the transect but decreased at all sites from 1979 to 1996. Cu and Zn did not vary spatially or with time. In 1979, the concentration of Hg in L ranged between 150 and 300 µg kg −1 dw, with no spatial gradient. By 1996, Hg concentrations were 25 to 50% lower in L, with decreases generally proportional to the concentration in 1979. The concentration of Pb in 1979 L decreased significantly from 200 mg kg −1 dw in southern Vermont to 60 mg kg −1 dw in Québec. By 1996, the Pb concentration in L ranged between 32 and 66 mg kg −1 dw with no spatial trend along the transect. Decreases in Pb concentrations at sites were proportional to the absolute value in 1979. The concentrations of Cd, Hg, and Pb have declined in litter from 1979 to 1996, indicating a decline in atmospheric deposition. Higher Hg and Pb accumulation rates to the southwest are suggested for the past as indicated by (F + H) concentrations and inventories of Hg and Pb. The decline of Pb in L is consistent with the decreased use of leaded gasoline starting in the 1970s; the declines in Cd and Hg probably reflect lower emissions over the same period. Declining concentrations of Cd, Hg, and Pb in L parallel those documented in recent lake and peat sediments in the northeastern United States.

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“…Subsequent litterfall and decomposition leads to a Pb-enriched forest floor (i.e., the organic layer overlying the mineral soil). Numerous studies have documented forest floor Pb concentrations of 75 to 300 µg g −1 , which is typically one to two orders of magnitude higher than the parent material at these locations (Siccama et al, 1980;Pouyat and McDonnell, 1991;Friedland et al, 1992;Marsh and Siccama, 1997;Mellor and Bevan, 1999). Recent studies have shown that at least some fraction of the Pb has been moving down into the mineral soil beneath (Miller and Friedland, 1994;Johnson et al, 1995a;Bindler et al, 1999;Kaste et al, 2003), and several have suggested that Pb is moving in association with soil organic matter (Tyler, 1981;Miller and Friedland, 1994;Dörr, 1995;Wang and Benoit, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Potentially Mobile Lead Fractions in Montane Organic-Rich Soil Horizons

Kaste

Friedland

Miller

2005

Water Air Soil Pollut

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Anthropogenic emissions during the 20th century resulted in global lead (Pb) contamination of soils. Recent studies have demonstrated that the organic horizons of temperate montane Spodosols in the northeastern United States retain Pb on timescales of 50 to 150 years. The precise mechanism(s) of this strong Pb partitioning to organic-rich soil material remain elusive, but a detailed understanding of Pb retention by organic layers and mineral topsoils is critical for predicting the fate of pollutants deposited on ecosystems. Here we use selective extractions to quantify potentially mobile pools of Pb in the surface horizons of relatively remote montane Spodosols from New Hampshire and Vermont. Using 10 consecutive rinses of water, we extracted a total of 1 to 5% of the carbon, and 4 to 12% of the Pb. Dialysis equilibration experiments demonstrate that this Pb is >5,000 molecular weight, and not truly dissolved as Pb 2+ . When soil was extracted with a single rinse of 0.02 M HCl (pH 1.7), 5 to 11% of the Pb was mobilized. However, hydroxylamine hydrochloride in 0.02 M HCl (a reducing agent) extracted 30 to 40% of the Pb. Repeated rinses with sodium hydroxide and sodium pyrophosphate, which target organic matter but may extract other soil phases removed 16 to 75% and 60 to 100% of the Pb, respectively. We show that significant Fe, Pb, and Al can be released from soils under reducing conditions, and that this fraction can be underestimated if sodium pyrophosphate is used in a previous step for leaching the organic-metal phase, as is typically done in sequential extraction schemes. Our results indicate that inorganic phases play an important role in determining Pb mobility and bioavailability, even in surface soil horizons dominated by organic matter.

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Changes in lead, zinc, copper, dry weight, and organic matter content of the forest floor of white pine stands in central Massachusetts over 16 years

Cited by 64 publications

References 7 publications

Remobilization of trace elements by forest fire in Patagonia, Chile

Remobilization of trace elements by forest fire in Patagonia, Chile

Changes in Concentrations of Major Elements and Trace Metals in Northeastern U.S.-Canadian Sub-Alpine Forest Floors

Potentially Mobile Lead Fractions in Montane Organic-Rich Soil Horizons

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