Trace elements biogeochemistry in high mountain lake catchmentsidentifying anthropogenic versus natural components from the atmospheric contamination legacy in remote natural areas

  1. Bacardit Peñarroya, Montserrat
Dirigida por:
  1. Lluís Camarero Galindo Director/a

Universidad de defensa: Universitat de Girona

Fecha de defensa: 01 de junio de 2011

Tribunal:
  1. Jordi Catalan Aguilà Presidente/a
  2. Pere Masqué Barri Secretario/a
  3. Ana Avila Castells Vocal
  4. Roland Penner Vocal
  5. Antonio Martínez Cortizas Vocal

Tipo: Tesis

Teseo: 310354 DIALNET lock_openTDX editor

Resumen

Human activities have been interfering with the natural biogeochemical cycles of trace elements since the ancient civilizations. Although they are inaccessible and remote, high mountain lake catchments are irrefutably trace-element contaminated by anthropogenic emissions, which can travel by long-range atmospheric transport before they are deposited. This has been revealed by several natural archives. High mountain lake catchments are thus excellent sentinels of long-range contamination. Continuous accumulation can lead to a build up of potentially toxic trace elements in these remote, or relatively remote, ecosystems. The thesis focuses on the biogeochemistry of a suite of trace elements of environmental concern (Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd and Pb) in Pyrenean lake catchments, with special emphasis on discerning the “natural” components from the “anthropogenic” contributions. Five other metallic elements (Al, Fe, Ti, Mn and Zr) have also been studied to trace natural fluxes and biogeochemical processes within the lake catchment systems.