Contamination of arctic Fjord sediments by Pb-Zn mining at Maarmorilik in central West Greenland

Kerstin Perner; Thomas Leipe; O Dellwig; Anton Kuijpers; Naja Mikkelsen; Thorbjørn Joest Andersen; null Harff

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.01.019

Contamination of arctic Fjord sediments by Pb-Zn mining at Maarmorilik in central West Greenland

Kerstin Perner, Thomas Leipe, O Dellwig, Anton Kuijpers, Naja Mikkelsen, Thorbjørn Joest Andersen, Harff

Geology

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study focuses on heavy metal contamination of arctic sediments from a small Fjord system adjacent to the Pb-Zn "Black Angel" mine (West Greenland) to investigate the temporal and spatial development of contamination and to provide baseline levels before the mines re-opening in January 2009. For this purpose we collected multi-cores along a transect from Affarlikassaa Fjord, which received high amounts of tailings from 1973 to 1990, to the mouth of Qaumarujuk Fjord. Along with radiochemical dating by ²¹⁰Pb and ¹³⁷Cs, geochemical analyses of heavy metals (e.g. As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn) were carried out. Maximum contents were found at 12 cm depth in Affarlikassaa. After 17 years the mine last closed, specific local hydrographic conditions continue to disperse heavy metal enriched material derived from the Affarlikassaa into Qaumarujuk. Total Hg profiles from multi-cores along the transect clearly illustrate this transport and spatial distribution pattern of the contaminated material.

Original language	English
Journal	Marine Pollution Bulletin
Volume	60
Issue number	7
Pages (from-to)	1065-1073
Number of pages	9
ISSN	0025-326X
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.01.019
Publication status	Published - 2010

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10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.01.019

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title = "Contamination of arctic Fjord sediments by Pb-Zn mining at Maarmorilik in central West Greenland",

abstract = "This study focuses on heavy metal contamination of arctic sediments from a small Fjord system adjacent to the Pb-Zn {"}Black Angel{"} mine (West Greenland) to investigate the temporal and spatial development of contamination and to provide baseline levels before the mines re-opening in January 2009. For this purpose we collected multi-cores along a transect from Affarlikassaa Fjord, which received high amounts of tailings from 1973 to 1990, to the mouth of Qaumarujuk Fjord. Along with radiochemical dating by 210Pb and 137Cs, geochemical analyses of heavy metals (e.g. As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn) were carried out. Maximum contents were found at 12 cm depth in Affarlikassaa. After 17 years the mine last closed, specific local hydrographic conditions continue to disperse heavy metal enriched material derived from the Affarlikassaa into Qaumarujuk. Total Hg profiles from multi-cores along the transect clearly illustrate this transport and spatial distribution pattern of the contaminated material.",

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T1 - Contamination of arctic Fjord sediments by Pb-Zn mining at Maarmorilik in central West Greenland

AU - Perner, Kerstin

AU - Leipe, Thomas

AU - Dellwig, O

AU - Kuijpers, Anton

AU - Mikkelsen, Naja

AU - Andersen, Thorbjørn Joest

AU - Harff, null

PY - 2010

Y1 - 2010

N2 - This study focuses on heavy metal contamination of arctic sediments from a small Fjord system adjacent to the Pb-Zn "Black Angel" mine (West Greenland) to investigate the temporal and spatial development of contamination and to provide baseline levels before the mines re-opening in January 2009. For this purpose we collected multi-cores along a transect from Affarlikassaa Fjord, which received high amounts of tailings from 1973 to 1990, to the mouth of Qaumarujuk Fjord. Along with radiochemical dating by 210Pb and 137Cs, geochemical analyses of heavy metals (e.g. As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn) were carried out. Maximum contents were found at 12 cm depth in Affarlikassaa. After 17 years the mine last closed, specific local hydrographic conditions continue to disperse heavy metal enriched material derived from the Affarlikassaa into Qaumarujuk. Total Hg profiles from multi-cores along the transect clearly illustrate this transport and spatial distribution pattern of the contaminated material.

AB - This study focuses on heavy metal contamination of arctic sediments from a small Fjord system adjacent to the Pb-Zn "Black Angel" mine (West Greenland) to investigate the temporal and spatial development of contamination and to provide baseline levels before the mines re-opening in January 2009. For this purpose we collected multi-cores along a transect from Affarlikassaa Fjord, which received high amounts of tailings from 1973 to 1990, to the mouth of Qaumarujuk Fjord. Along with radiochemical dating by 210Pb and 137Cs, geochemical analyses of heavy metals (e.g. As, Cd, Hg, Pb, and Zn) were carried out. Maximum contents were found at 12 cm depth in Affarlikassaa. After 17 years the mine last closed, specific local hydrographic conditions continue to disperse heavy metal enriched material derived from the Affarlikassaa into Qaumarujuk. Total Hg profiles from multi-cores along the transect clearly illustrate this transport and spatial distribution pattern of the contaminated material.

U2 - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.01.019

DO - 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.01.019

M3 - Journal article

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SN - 0025-326X

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SP - 1065

EP - 1073

JO - Marine Pollution Bulletin

JF - Marine Pollution Bulletin

IS - 7

ER -

Contamination of arctic Fjord sediments by Pb-Zn mining at Maarmorilik in central West Greenland

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