Numéro |
J. Phys. IV France
Volume 107, May 2003
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Page(s) | 645 - 648 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/jp4:20030386 |
J. Phys. IV France 107 (2003) 645
DOI: 10.1051/jp4:20030386
Environmental archives of heavy metal pollution or contaminated land? A case study of former water powered industrial sites in South Yorkshire, UK
S.M. HutchinsonTelford Institute of Environmental Systems (TIES), School of Environment & Life Sciences, University of Salford, Salford, Gt. Manchester M6 6PU, U.K.
Abstract
Environmental contamination from former industrial activity can act as a 'forgotten' and thereby largely
undetennined source of pollutants, which may be dispersed to a wider area. Sheffield (UK) has a high densities of
former water powered industrial sites Although many sites have now disappeared, sediments stored in former
millponds provide a potential environmental archive of the impact of such industry. A survey of eight former
millponds has revealed a consistent pattern of sedimentation within each site. Heavy metal levels show marked
variations in contamination between the sites and through out the sediment core profiles. These patterns reflect the
industrial history of the sites, but the retrospective monitor of industrial emissions that they provide is restricted by
the hydrodynamics of such sites Sediment Pb levels at Abbeydale Works are particularly high and can exceed
ICRCL thresholds. Historical evidence and the Pb isotope ratio suggest that this contamination pre dates the
millpond (circa 1775) reflecting lead smelting activities from at least the 18
Century. Therefore significant lead
pollution can result from relatively early industrial activity. Furthermore, lad-rich deposits are also found in
adjacent floodplain sediments and indicate the transport of contaminants beyond the site.
© EDP Sciences 2003