Mid- to Late Holocene elemental record and isotopic composition of lead in a peat core from Wolbrom (S Poland)

Abstract

Peat Core W3 was taken from the fen in Wolbrom (Silesian-Cracovian Upland, Southern Poland) in September 2015. Previous analyses of Core W3 showed a significant increase in lead concentration during the time of the Roman Empire as well as some changes in peat accumulation conditions. The work reported here investigates its geochemical composition in terms of major and trace elements (Pb, Zn, Na, K, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Cu, Ni, Cr by AAS) as well as Pb isotopic composition, to identify the sources of metal pollution in the Wolbrom peat deposit. The geochemical record spans the period from 4900 BC to modern times, with a likely hiatus corresponding to the period from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the contemporary metallurgical industry. The Pb isotopic composition combined with a cluster analysis allows identification of the primary sources of Pb. In addition, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) helps to decipher the most important factors that affected the chemical composition of sediments at Wolbrom. These factors were linked to chemical denudation and human activity.

Keywords

• AAS
• fen peatland
• geochemistry
• MC-ICP-MS
• radiocarbon dating
• stable lead isotopes