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Background levels of heavy metals in surficial sediments of the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean): An approach based on 133Cs normalization and lead isotope measurements
- Source :
- Environmental Pollution, Environmental Pollution, 2005, 1 (1), pp.167-177. ⟨10.1016/j.envpol.2005.02.004⟩
- Publication Year :
- 2005
- Publisher :
- Elsevier, 2005.
-
Abstract
- International audience; This paper presents an attempt to reach natural background levels of heavy metals in surficial sediments of the Gulf of Lions(NW Mediterranean). To correct for the grain-size effect, normalization procedures based on a clay mineral indicator element are commonly used, after a first grain size separation by sieving. In our study, we tested the applicability of this method with respect to commonly used normalizer elements, and found that stable Cs shows the best ability to reflect the fine sediment fraction. Background levels were successfully reached for Co, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb, compared to various literature references. Nevertheless, in the case of lead, the normalized data depicted a general enrichment in all samples, and the natural levels could only be reached when concentrations were corrected for the atmospheric contribution by analysing lead isotope ratios. Also for Zn, a general enrichment was found in our samples, although less important.
- Subjects :
- Pollution
Normalization (statistics)
Mediterranean climate
Geologic Sediments
Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis
media_common.quotation_subject
Mineralogy
[SDU.STU]Sciences of the Universe [physics]/Earth Sciences
Cesium
Background levels
Toxicology
Sciences de la Terre
Mediterranean sea
Isotopes
Metals, Heavy
Coastal sediments
Mediterranean Sea
Soil Pollutants
Soil Pollutants, Radioactive
Particle Size
Cs
media_common
Isotope analysis
Isotope
General Medicine
Lead isotopes
Normalization
Lead
Heavy metals
Gulf of Lions
France
Enrichment factor
Clay minerals
Geology
Environmental Monitoring
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 02697491 and 18736424
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Environmental Pollution
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....866e704f42d84231c211572e2e86102a