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A two hundred years record of atmospheric cadmium, copper and zinc concentrations in high altitude snow and ice from the French‐Italian Alps
Author(s) -
Van de Velde Katja,
Boutron Claude F.,
Ferrari Christophe P.,
Moreau AnnLaure,
Delmas Robert J.,
Barbante Carlo,
Bellomi Tania,
Capodaglio Gabriele,
Cescon Paolo
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/1999gl010786
Subject(s) - snow , altitude (triangle) , temperate climate , cadmium , zinc , copper , physical geography , environmental science , western europe , atmospheric sciences , geology , climatology , chemistry , geography , geomorphology , ecology , geometry , mathematics , european union , economic policy , business , biology , organic chemistry
Cd, Cu and Zn have been measured using ultraclean procedures in snow and ice deposited at a high altitude location in the French/Italian Alps during the past two centuries. These data provide the first time series of changes in the occurrence of heavy metals in ice and snow from temperate regions since the Industrial Revolution. Concentrations are constant until the end of the nineteenth century. Then they increase by 10, 15 and 30 fold for Cu, Cd and Zn, respectively till the 1970s. During the following two decades Cd and Zn concentrations then decrease whilst Cu continues to increase. These temporal changes are compared with changes in emissions in Western Europe.