Trace metal legacy in mountain environments: A view from the Pyrenees Mountains

Gaël Le Roux; Sophia V. Hansson; Adrien Claustres; Stéphane Binet; François De Vleeschouwer; Laure Gandois; Florence Mazier; Anaelle Simonneau; Roman Teisserenc; Deonie Allen; Thomas Rosset; Marilen Haver; Luca Da Ros; Didier Galop; Pilar Durantez; Anne Probst; Jose Miguel Sánchez-Pérez; Sabine Sauvage; Pascal Laffaille; Séverine Jean; Dirk S. Schmeller; Lluis Camarero; Laurent Marquer; Stephen Lofts

doi:10.1002/9781119413332.ch9

Trace metal legacy in mountain environments: A view from the Pyrenees Mountains

Gaël Le Roux^*, Sophia V. Hansson, Adrien Claustres, Stéphane Binet, François De Vleeschouwer, Laure Gandois, Florence Mazier, Anaelle Simonneau, Roman Teisserenc, Deonie Allen, Thomas Rosset, Marilen Haver, Luca Da Ros, Didier Galop, Pilar Durantez, Anne Probst, Jose Miguel Sánchez-Pérez, Sabine Sauvage, Pascal Laffaille, Séverine JeanDirk S. Schmeller, Lluis Camarero, Laurent Marquer, Stephen Lofts

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to book/anthology/report/proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

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.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Biogeochemical Cycles : Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impact
Editors	Katerina Dontsova, Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad, Gaël Le Roux
Number of pages	16
Publisher	Wiley
Publication date	Mar 2020
Pages	191-206
Chapter	9
ISBN (Print)	9781119413301
ISBN (Electronic)	9781119413332
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119413332.ch9
Publication status	Published - Mar 2020

Series	Geophysical Monograph Series
Volume	251

Keywords

French pyrenees
Mining legacy
Mountain critical zone
Pb isotopes

Access to Document

10.1002/9781119413332.ch9

Cite this

Le Roux, G., Hansson, S. V., Claustres, A., Binet, S., De Vleeschouwer, F., Gandois, L., Mazier, F., Simonneau, A., Teisserenc, R., Allen, D., Rosset, T., Haver, M., Da Ros, L., Galop, D., Durantez, P., Probst, A., Sánchez-Pérez, J. M., Sauvage, S., Laffaille, P., ... Lofts, S. (2020). Trace metal legacy in mountain environments: A view from the Pyrenees Mountains. In K. Dontsova, Z. Balogh-Brunstad, & G. Le Roux (Eds.), Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impact (pp. 191-206). Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119413332.ch9

@inbook{41ce7acacb9b417793f08df52e140fbb,

title = "Trace metal legacy in mountain environments: A view from the Pyrenees Mountains",

abstract = "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.",

keywords = "French pyrenees, Mining legacy, Mountain critical zone, Pb isotopes",

author = "{Le Roux}, Ga{\"e}l and Hansson, {Sophia V.} and Adrien Claustres and St{\'e}phane Binet and {De Vleeschouwer}, Fran{\c c}ois and Laure Gandois and Florence Mazier and Anaelle Simonneau and Roman Teisserenc and Deonie Allen and Thomas Rosset and Marilen Haver and {Da Ros}, Luca and Didier Galop and Pilar Durantez and Anne Probst and S{\'a}nchez-P{\'e}rez, {Jose Miguel} and Sabine Sauvage and Pascal Laffaille and S{\'e}verine Jean and Schmeller, {Dirk S.} and Lluis Camarero and Laurent Marquer and Stephen Lofts",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 American Geophysical Union.",

year = "2020",

month = mar,

doi = "10.1002/9781119413332.ch9",

language = "English",

isbn = "9781119413301",

series = "Geophysical Monograph Series",

pages = "191--206",

editor = "Katerina Dontsova and Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad and {Le Roux}, Ga{\"e}l",

booktitle = "Biogeochemical Cycles",

publisher = "Wiley",

}

Le Roux, G, Hansson, SV, Claustres, A, Binet, S, De Vleeschouwer, F, Gandois, L, Mazier, F, Simonneau, A, Teisserenc, R, Allen, D, Rosset, T, Haver, M, Da Ros, L, Galop, D, Durantez, P, Probst, A, Sánchez-Pérez, JM, Sauvage, S, Laffaille, P, Jean, S, Schmeller, DS, Camarero, L, Marquer, L & Lofts, S 2020, Trace metal legacy in mountain environments: A view from the Pyrenees Mountains. in K Dontsova, Z Balogh-Brunstad & G Le Roux (eds), Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impact. Wiley, Geophysical Monograph Series, vol. 251, pp. 191-206. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119413332.ch9

Trace metal legacy in mountain environments: A view from the Pyrenees Mountains. / Le Roux, Gaël; Hansson, Sophia V.; Claustres, Adrien et al.
Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impact. ed. / Katerina Dontsova; Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad; Gaël Le Roux. Wiley, 2020. p. 191-206 (Geophysical Monograph Series, Vol. 251).

Research output: Contribution to book/anthology/report/proceeding › Book chapter › Research › peer-review

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

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 -

Le Roux G, Hansson SV, Claustres A, Binet S, De Vleeschouwer F, Gandois L et al. Trace metal legacy in mountain environments: A view from the Pyrenees Mountains. In Dontsova K, Balogh-Brunstad Z, Le Roux G, editors, Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impact. Wiley. 2020. p. 191-206. (Geophysical Monograph Series, Vol. 251). doi: 10.1002/9781119413332.ch9

Trace metal legacy in mountain environments: A view from the Pyrenees Mountains

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this