The legacy of metallurgical atmospheric contamination in a mountainous catchment: A delayed response of Pb contamination

Floriane Guillevic (1) , Fabien Arnaud (1) , Magali Rossi (1) , Jérôme Poulenard (1) , Pierre Sabatier (1) , Anne-Lise Develle (1) , Cécile Quantin (2) , Gaël Monvoisin (2)

1 EDYTEM - Environnements, Dynamiques et Territoires de Montagne
2 GEOPS - Géosciences Paris Saclay

Metal-rich fumes emitted during ore smelting contribute to widespread anthropogenic contamination. Environmental archives (such as lake sediments) record fallouts deposited on lake and terrestrial surfaces during ancient mining and smelting activities. However, very few is known about the potential buffering effect of soils upon which metal falls out, prior to be released through runoff and or/erosion, hence leading to pervasive contamination fluxes long after the ceasing of metallurgical activities. Here we aim at assessing this long-term remobilisation in a mountainous catchment area. Lake sediments and soils were collected 7 km upward a 200-year-old historic mine. The Pb-Ag mine of Peisey-Nancroix was operated between the 17 th and the 19 th centuries with a documented smelting period of 80 years. In lake sediments, the total Pb content varies from 29 mg.kg-1 prior smelting to 148 mg.kg-1 during ore smelting. Pb isotopes in lake sediments and soils provide evidence of anthropogenic Pb from the local ore (206 Pb/ 207 Pb = 1.173; 208 Pb/ 206 Pb = 2.094) during and after smelting, suggesting anthropogenic Pb remobilisation for 200 years. The accumulation rates of anthropogenic Pb calculated in lake sediments after the smelting period confirm such a remobilization. Despite a

Mots clés: Pb contamination; ore smelting; soil remobilisation; contaminant legacy; Pb; Pb contamination

Domaines: Sciences de l'environnement

Floriane Guillevic, Fabien Arnaud, Magali Rossi, Jérôme Poulenard, Pierre Sabatier, et al.. The legacy of metallurgical atmospheric contamination in a mountainous catchment: A delayed response of Pb contamination. Science of the Total Environment, 2023, 895, pp.165127. ⟨10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165127⟩. ⟨hal-04299710⟩