TY - CHAP
T1 - Trace metal legacy in mountain environments
T2 - A view from the Pyrenees Mountains
AU - Le Roux, Gaël
AU - Hansson, Sophia V.
AU - Claustres, Adrien
AU - Binet, Stéphane
AU - De Vleeschouwer, François
AU - Gandois, Laure
AU - Mazier, Florence
AU - Simonneau, Anaelle
AU - Teisserenc, Roman
AU - Allen, Deonie
AU - Rosset, Thomas
AU - Haver, Marilen
AU - Da Ros, Luca
AU - Galop, Didier
AU - Durantez, Pilar
AU - Probst, Anne
AU - Sánchez-Pérez, Jose Miguel
AU - Sauvage, Sabine
AU - Laffaille, Pascal
AU - Jean, Séverine
AU - Schmeller, Dirk S.
AU - Camarero, Lluis
AU - Marquer, Laurent
AU - Lofts, Stephen
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 American Geophysical Union.
PY - 2020/3
Y1 - 2020/3
N2 - The mineral reserves of mountain environments have been exploited since the beginning of metallurgy and legacy contamination from activities such as mining persist to this day. This is particularly the case in the soils of the European mountains where potential harmful trace elements (such as Pb, Sb, As, and Hg) of anthropogenic origin have accumulated since Antiquity. The French Pyrenees are no exception to this, as many mine sites in the region date back to the Bronze Age, resulting in landscape alternations and anthropogenic environmental impacts on a millennial scale. The mountain critical zone is sensitive both to human-induced environmental changes (e.g., agriculture, mining, clear-cutting) as well as to climate-induced rapid environmental fluctuations. The legacy of trace metal contamination in other environments has been documented at individual sites in Europe and around the world, however, the fate of such legacy metals over time, in particular within mountainous regions, is poorly understood. This is despite the fact that a large proportion of metals was deposited and stored before 1800 CE in these areas. Using a case study from the Central French Pyrenees as a specific example, we here show that legacy metal (e.g., Pb) contamination in mountain environments is still persistent and a potential threat to mountain ecosystem health. We emphasize methods that aim to understand, in an interdisciplinary and coordinated way, the fate of legacy metals in the Central Pyrenees and beyond. We highlight the importance of research in the mountain critical zone for the whole of Europe, as mountains are the source of water and provide regional economic and socio-ecological resources. The goal of this chapter is, therefore, to draw attention to and provide fellow researchers with, the background information and methodologies needed to address the problem of legacy metal accumulation, transport, storage, remobilization, and redeposition in mountain watersheds, as well as potential subsequent environmental impacts downstream.
AB - The mineral reserves of mountain environments have been exploited since the beginning of metallurgy and legacy contamination from activities such as mining persist to this day. This is particularly the case in the soils of the European mountains where potential harmful trace elements (such as Pb, Sb, As, and Hg) of anthropogenic origin have accumulated since Antiquity. The French Pyrenees are no exception to this, as many mine sites in the region date back to the Bronze Age, resulting in landscape alternations and anthropogenic environmental impacts on a millennial scale. The mountain critical zone is sensitive both to human-induced environmental changes (e.g., agriculture, mining, clear-cutting) as well as to climate-induced rapid environmental fluctuations. The legacy of trace metal contamination in other environments has been documented at individual sites in Europe and around the world, however, the fate of such legacy metals over time, in particular within mountainous regions, is poorly understood. This is despite the fact that a large proportion of metals was deposited and stored before 1800 CE in these areas. Using a case study from the Central French Pyrenees as a specific example, we here show that legacy metal (e.g., Pb) contamination in mountain environments is still persistent and a potential threat to mountain ecosystem health. We emphasize methods that aim to understand, in an interdisciplinary and coordinated way, the fate of legacy metals in the Central Pyrenees and beyond. We highlight the importance of research in the mountain critical zone for the whole of Europe, as mountains are the source of water and provide regional economic and socio-ecological resources. The goal of this chapter is, therefore, to draw attention to and provide fellow researchers with, the background information and methodologies needed to address the problem of legacy metal accumulation, transport, storage, remobilization, and redeposition in mountain watersheds, as well as potential subsequent environmental impacts downstream.
KW - French pyrenees
KW - Mining legacy
KW - Mountain critical zone
KW - Pb isotopes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85090005342&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/9781119413332.ch9
DO - 10.1002/9781119413332.ch9
M3 - Book chapter
AN - SCOPUS:85090005342
SN - 9781119413301
T3 - Geophysical Monograph Series
SP - 191
EP - 206
BT - Biogeochemical Cycles
A2 - Dontsova, Katerina
A2 - Balogh-Brunstad, Zsuzsanna
A2 - Le Roux, Gaël
PB - Wiley
ER -