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Science 11 September 1998:
Vol. 281. no. 5383, pp. 1635 - 1640
DOI: 10.1126/science.281.5383.1635
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Research Articles

History of Atmospheric Lead Deposition Since 12,370 14C yr BP from a Peat Bog, Jura Mountains, Switzerland

W. Shotyk, * D. Weiss, P. G. Appleby, A. K. Cheburkin, dagger R. Frei, M. Gloor, J. D. Kramers, S. Reese, W. O. Van Der Knaap

A continuous record of atmospheric lead since 12,370 carbon-14 years before the present (14C yr BP) is preserved in a Swiss peat bog. Enhanced fluxes caused by climate changes reached their maxima 10,590 14C yr BP (Younger Dryas) and 8230 14C yr BP. Soil erosion caused by forest clearing and agricultural tillage increased lead deposition after 5320 14C yr BP. Increasing lead/scandium and decreasing lead-206/lead-207 beginning 3000 14C yr BP indicate the beginning of lead pollution from mining and smelting, and anthropogenic sources have dominated lead emissions ever since. The greatest lead flux (15.7 milligrams per square meter per year in A.D. 1979) was 1570 times the natural, background value (0.01 milligram per square meter per year from 8030 to 5320 14C yr BP).

W. Shotyk and D. Weiss are at the Geological Institute, University of Berne, Baltzerstrasse 1, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland. P. G. Appleby is in the Environmental Radiometric Research Centre, Department of Mathematical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Post Office Box 147, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK. A. K. Cheburkin is at the Geological Institute, Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, Gonhkar Street 55b, Kiev 54, 252054, Ukraine. R. Frei is at the Geologisk Institut, Kobenhavns Universitet, Oster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen, Denmark. M. Gloor is with the Swiss Federal Research Institute for Forestry, Snow, and Landscape Research, Zürcherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland. J. D. Kramers is in the Isotope Geology Group, Mineralogical-Petrographical Institute, University of Berne, Erlachstrasse 9a, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland. S. Reese is at the Radiocarbon Laboratory, Physics Institute, University of Berne, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Berne, Switzerland. W. O. Van Der Knaap is at the Institute of Geobotany, University of Berne, Altenbergrain 21, CH-3013 Berne, Switzerland.
*   To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: shotyk{at}geo.unibe.ch

dagger    Present address: EMMA Analytical, Elmvale, Ontario L0L 1P0, Canada.

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