Stable isotope tracing of Ni and Cu pollution in North-East Norway: Potentials and drawbacks. (September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Šillerová, Hana; Chrastný, Vladislav; Vítková, Martina; Francová, Anna; Jehlička, Jan; Gutsch, Marissa R.; Kocourková, Jana; Aspholm, Paul E.; Nilsson, Lars O.; Berglen, Tore F.; Jensen, Henning K.B.; Komárek, Michael
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 228(2017)
• Page Start: 149
• Page End: 157
• Publication Date: 2017-09
• Subjects: Nickel -- Copper -- Smelter -- Isotopes -- Biogeochemical fractionation; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.05.030
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: The use of Ni and Cu isotopes for tracing contamination sources in the environment remains a challenging task due to the limited information about the influence of various biogeochemical processes influencing stable isotope fractionation. This work focuses on a relatively simple system in north-east Norway with two possible endmembers (smelter-bedrock) and various environmental samples (snow, soil, lichens, PM10 ). In general, the whole area is enriched in heavy Ni and Cu isotopes highlighting the impact of the smelting activity. However, the environmental samples exhibit a large range of δ 60 Ni (−0.01 ± 0.03‰ to 1.71 ± 0.02‰) and δ 65 Cu (−0.06 ± 0.06‰ to −3.94 ± 0.3‰) values which exceeds the range of δ 60 Ni and δ 65 Cu values determined in the smelter, i.e. in feeding material and slag (δ 60 Ni from 0.56 ± 0.06‰ to 1.00 ± 0.06‰ and δ 65 Cu from −1.67 ± 0.04‰ to −1.68 ± 0.15‰). The shift toward heavier Ni and Cu δ values was the most significant in organic rich topsoil samples in the case of Ni (δ 60 Ni up to 1.71 ± 0.02‰) and in lichens and snow in the case of Cu (δ 65 Cu up to −0.06 ± 0.06‰ and −0.24 ± 0.04‰, respectively). These data suggest an important biological and biochemical fractionation (microorganisms and/or metal uptake by higher plants, organo-complexation etc.) of Ni and Cu isotopes, which should be quantified separately for each process and taken into account when using the stable isotopes for tracing contamination in the environment. Graphical abstract: Highlights: Presence of smelter delivered particles was confirmed in all types of samples. Environmental samples exhibit a large range of δ 60 Ni and δ 65 Cu values. Heavier δ 60 Ni values were determined in topsoil than in the metallurgical samples. Shift toward heavier δ 65 Cu values was significant in lichens and snow. The data suggest an important biological and biochemical fractionation. Abstract : Our data provide new information about Ni and Cu isotopes behavior in a contaminated environment and indicate that their biogeochemical cycling causes important Ni and Cu fractionation.