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Lead biogeochemistry in a central Ontario Forested watershed

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Abstract

To determine the sources and sinks of atmospherically deposited Pb at a forested watershed (Plastic Lake) in central Ontario, Canada, Pb pools and fluxes through upland, wetland and lake compartments were measured during 2002/2003 and compared with previous measurements taken between 1989 and 1991. In 2002/2003, annual bulk deposition of Pb was 0.49 mg m−2 compared with 1.90–1.30 mg m−2 in 1989–1991. Annual Pb concentrations in stream water draining the upland part of the catchment were very low (0.04 μg l−1) and were approximately half those measured in 1989–1991 (0.11–0.08 μg l−1). Leaching losses in stream water were small and mass balance estimates indicate almost complete retention (>95%) of atmospherically deposited Pb in upland soils. In contrast, annual Pb concentrations in stream water draining a wetland were between 0.38 and 0.77 μg l−1, with the highest concentration occurring in 2002/2003 and mass balance calculations indicate that the wetland is a net source of Pb in all measured years. Lead concentrations in the lake outflow were low and the average Pb concentration measured in 2002/2003 (0.09 μg l−1) was approximately half the value recorded in 1989–1991 (0.19 μg l−1 both years). Annual mass balance estimates indicate that the lake retained between 2.47 mg m−2 (1989/1990) and 1.42 mg m−2 (2002/2003) and that in 2002/2003 68% of the Pb input to the lake is derived from the terrestrial catchment. These estimates are higher than sediment core records, which indicate around 18 mg m−2 Pb was retained in sediment during the 1990s. Nevertheless, Pb concentrations decrease with sediment depth and 206Pb/207Pb concentrations increase with depth, a pattern also observed in mineral soils that reflects the substantial contribution of anthropogenic Pb to the watershed. Lead isotope data from soil and sediment indicate a recent anthropogenic Pb signal (206Pb/207Pb ∼ 1.185) in upper soils and sediments and an older anthropogenic signal (206Pb/207Pb ∼ 1.20) in deeper soil and sediment. Lead isotope data in sediment and vegetation indicate that practically all the Pb cycled in the forest at Plastic Lake is anthropogenic in origin.

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Acknowledgments

This work was funded by grants from MITE (Metals in the Environment), the Ontario Ministry of Environment and NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada). The invaluable assistance of Katrina Epova, Sunday Abiria, Dolly Kothawala, Brad Mills and numerous other students and staff from the Ontario Ministry of Environment is especially noted.

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  1. Environmental and Resource Science, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, Canada, K9J 7B8

    Shaun A. Watmough & Peter J. Dillon

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  1. Shaun A. Watmough
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Correspondence to Shaun A. Watmough.

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Watmough, S.A., Dillon, P.J. Lead biogeochemistry in a central Ontario Forested watershed. Biogeochemistry 84, 143–159 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-007-9110-6

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