Vertical transport of anthropogenic lead by reversible scavenging in the South Atlantic Ocean

Arianna Olivelli; Maxence Paul; Hui Xu; Katharina Kreissig; Barry J. Coles; Rebekah E. T. Moore; Luke  Bridgestock; Micha Rijkenberg; Rob Middag; Maeve C. Lohan; Dominik J. Weiss; Mark Rehkamper; Tina van de Flierdt

doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118980

Vertical transport of anthropogenic lead by reversible scavenging in the South Atlantic Ocean

Arianna Olivelli^*, Maxence Paul, Hui Xu, Katharina Kreissig, Barry J. Coles, Rebekah E. T. Moore, Luke Bridgestock, Micha Rijkenberg, Rob Middag, Maeve C. Lohan, Dominik J. Weiss, Mark Rehkamper, Tina van de Flierdt

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Earth & Environmental Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Stable lead (Pb) isotopes have been regarded as tracers of ocean circulation, both in the present time and geological past. Here we present a new dataset of seawater Pb concentrations and isotope compositions for ten depth profiles from the South Atlantic Ocean (GEOTRACES cruises GA02 and GA10). By comparing Pb isotope data collected on the two cruises, and by modelling the distribution of Pb with an extended optimum multiparameter analysis, we find evidence of vertical transport of anthropogenic Pb pollution due to reversible scavenging. Surface to depth transfer of polluted Pb is aided by high suspended particulate matter loads at the Brazil – Malvinas Confluence and along ∼40°S in the South Atlantic. Overall, our findings caution the use of Pb isotope ratios as ventilation tracers in the South Atlantic and emphasize the importance of particle-seawater interaction for biogeochemical cycles.

Original language	English
Article number	118980
Number of pages	15
Journal	Earth and Planetary Science Letters
Volume	646
Early online date	19 Sept 2024
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118980
Publication status	Published - 15 Nov 2024

Keywords

Lead isotopes
Scavenging
Seawater
Pollution
GEOTRACES

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118980Licence: CC BY

Olivelli_2024_EaPSL_Vertical-transport-lead-scavenging-Atlantic-ocean_CC
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC-BY license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Final published version, 8.66 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Olivelli, A., Paul, M., Xu, H., Kreissig, K., Coles, B. J., Moore, R. E. T., Bridgestock, L., Rijkenberg, M., Middag, R., Lohan, M. C., Weiss, D. J., Rehkamper, M., & van de Flierdt, T. (2024). Vertical transport of anthropogenic lead by reversible scavenging in the South Atlantic Ocean. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 646, Article 118980. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118980

@article{ec3e4942fb8341789fee6240eccd3e07,

title = "Vertical transport of anthropogenic lead by reversible scavenging in the South Atlantic Ocean",

abstract = "Stable lead (Pb) isotopes have been regarded as tracers of ocean circulation, both in the present time and geological past. Here we present a new dataset of seawater Pb concentrations and isotope compositions for ten depth profiles from the South Atlantic Ocean (GEOTRACES cruises GA02 and GA10). By comparing Pb isotope data collected on the two cruises, and by modelling the distribution of Pb with an extended optimum multiparameter analysis, we find evidence of vertical transport of anthropogenic Pb pollution due to reversible scavenging. Surface to depth transfer of polluted Pb is aided by high suspended particulate matter loads at the Brazil – Malvinas Confluence and along ∼40°S in the South Atlantic. Overall, our findings caution the use of Pb isotope ratios as ventilation tracers in the South Atlantic and emphasize the importance of particle-seawater interaction for biogeochemical cycles.",

keywords = "Lead isotopes, Scavenging, Seawater, Pollution, GEOTRACES",

author = "Arianna Olivelli and Maxence Paul and Hui Xu and Katharina Kreissig and Coles, {Barry J.} and Moore, {Rebekah E. T.} and Luke Bridgestock and Micha Rijkenberg and Rob Middag and Lohan, {Maeve C.} and Weiss, {Dominik J.} and Mark Rehkamper and {van de Flierdt}, Tina",

note = "Funding: Arianna Olivelli was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (NE/S007415/1), as were Dominik Weiss, Tina van de Flierdt, and Mark Rehk{\"a}mper (NE/H006095/1). Maeve Lohan was funded by NERC (NE/H004475/1). The GEOTRACES GA02 section cruises were made possible by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) project grant 839.08.410.",

year = "2024",

month = nov,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118980",

language = "English",

volume = "646",

journal = "Earth and Planetary Science Letters",

issn = "0012-821X",

publisher = "Elsevier Science BV",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Vertical transport of anthropogenic lead by reversible scavenging in the South Atlantic Ocean

AU - Olivelli, Arianna

AU - Paul, Maxence

AU - Xu, Hui

AU - Kreissig, Katharina

AU - Coles, Barry J.

AU - Moore, Rebekah E. T.

AU - Bridgestock, Luke

AU - Rijkenberg, Micha

AU - Middag, Rob

AU - Lohan, Maeve C.

AU - Weiss, Dominik J.

AU - Rehkamper, Mark

AU - van de Flierdt, Tina

N1 - Funding: Arianna Olivelli was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) (NE/S007415/1), as were Dominik Weiss, Tina van de Flierdt, and Mark Rehkämper (NE/H006095/1). Maeve Lohan was funded by NERC (NE/H004475/1). The GEOTRACES GA02 section cruises were made possible by the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) project grant 839.08.410.

PY - 2024/11/15

Y1 - 2024/11/15

N2 - Stable lead (Pb) isotopes have been regarded as tracers of ocean circulation, both in the present time and geological past. Here we present a new dataset of seawater Pb concentrations and isotope compositions for ten depth profiles from the South Atlantic Ocean (GEOTRACES cruises GA02 and GA10). By comparing Pb isotope data collected on the two cruises, and by modelling the distribution of Pb with an extended optimum multiparameter analysis, we find evidence of vertical transport of anthropogenic Pb pollution due to reversible scavenging. Surface to depth transfer of polluted Pb is aided by high suspended particulate matter loads at the Brazil – Malvinas Confluence and along ∼40°S in the South Atlantic. Overall, our findings caution the use of Pb isotope ratios as ventilation tracers in the South Atlantic and emphasize the importance of particle-seawater interaction for biogeochemical cycles.

AB - Stable lead (Pb) isotopes have been regarded as tracers of ocean circulation, both in the present time and geological past. Here we present a new dataset of seawater Pb concentrations and isotope compositions for ten depth profiles from the South Atlantic Ocean (GEOTRACES cruises GA02 and GA10). By comparing Pb isotope data collected on the two cruises, and by modelling the distribution of Pb with an extended optimum multiparameter analysis, we find evidence of vertical transport of anthropogenic Pb pollution due to reversible scavenging. Surface to depth transfer of polluted Pb is aided by high suspended particulate matter loads at the Brazil – Malvinas Confluence and along ∼40°S in the South Atlantic. Overall, our findings caution the use of Pb isotope ratios as ventilation tracers in the South Atlantic and emphasize the importance of particle-seawater interaction for biogeochemical cycles.

KW - Lead isotopes

KW - Scavenging

KW - Seawater

KW - Pollution

KW - GEOTRACES

U2 - 10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118980

DO - 10.1016/j.epsl.2024.118980

M3 - Article

SN - 0012-821X

VL - 646

JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters

M1 - 118980

ER -

Vertical transport of anthropogenic lead by reversible scavenging in the South Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this