Records of anthropogenic antimony in the glacial snow from the southeastern Tibetan Plateau. (1st December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zhang, Yulan; Kang, Shichang; Chen, Pengfei; Li, Xiaofei; Liu, Yajun; Gao, Tanguang; Guo, Junming; Sillanpää, Mika
• Is Part Of: Journal of Asian earth sciences. Volume 131(2016)
• Page Start: 62
• Page End: 71
• Publication Date: 2016-12-01
• Subjects: Antimony -- Glacier -- Elemental records -- Anthropogenic impact -- Tibetan Plateau; Earth sciences -- Asia -- Periodicals; Sciences de la terre -- Asie -- Périodiques; Earth sciences; Asia; Periodicals; 555.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jseaes.2016.09.007
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1367-9120

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: Sb concentrations in the glacial snow from the southeastern Tibetan Plateau are much lower than those from the Tien Shan and Alps. Enrichment factors of Sb indicates a significant anthropogenic impact. Sb has a source different from those of crustal elements or the other heavy metals by principal component analysis. Pollutants from South Asia can affect Sb deposition on the Tibetan glaciers. Abstract: Antimony (Sb) is a ubiquitous element in the environment that is potentially toxic at very low concentrations. In this study, surface snow/ice and snowpit samples were collected from four glaciers in the southeastern Tibetan Plateau in June 2015. The concentrations of Sb and other elements were measured in these samples. The results showed that the average concentration of Sb was approximately 2.58 pg g −1 with a range of 1.64–9.20 pg g −1 . The average Sb concentration in the study area was comparable to that recorded in a Mt. Everest ice core and higher than that in Arctic and Antarctic snow/ice but much lower than that in Tien Shan and Alps ice cores. Sb presented different variations with other toxic elements (Pb and Cr) and a crustal element (Al) in the three snowpits, which indicated the impact of a different source or post-deposition processes. The enrichment factor of Sb was larger than 10, suggesting that anthropogenic sources provided important contributions to Sb deposition in the glaciers. The Sb in the glacial snow was mainly loaded in the fourth component in principal component analysis, exhibiting discrepancies with crustal elements (Fe and Ca) and other toxic metals (Pb). Backward trajectories revealed that the air mass arriving at the southeastern Tibetan Plateau mostly originated from the Bay of Bengal and the South Asia in June. Thus, pollutants from the South Asia could play an important role in Sb deposition in the studied region. The released Sb from glacier meltwater in the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding areas might pose a risk to the livelihoods and well-being of those in downstream regions.