Atmospheric heavy metals in high altitude surface snows from Mont Blanc, French Alps

https://doi.org/10.1016/0004-6981(84)90023-4Get rights and content

Abstract

We present here the results of the analysis of various surface snow samples collected in the massif of Mont Blanc, French Alps, at three locations whose altitude ranges from 3560 to 4785 m a. s l. These samples were collected using ultra-clean techniques similar to the ones developed for Greenland and Antarctic studies. They were analysed for Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, Ag, Na, Mg, K, Ca, Fe, Al and Mn by Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption in clean room conditions. Measured concentrations are very low, then confirming the extreme purity of high altitude snow in the Alps. Principal components factor analysis of the data suggest a crustal source for Na, Mg, K, Ca, Fe, Mn and Al; heavy metals Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn and Ag are found on the other hand to be derived from one or several sources independent of the crustal source. Measured concentrations in snow appear to be closely related to thos̀e previously published by other authors for local aerosols.

References (50)

  • C.C. Patterson

    Criticism of “Flow of metals to the global atmosphere” by Jaworowski Z. et al.

    Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta

    (1983)
  • S.R. Taylor

    Abundance of chemical elements in the continental crust: a new table

    Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta0

    (1964)
  • F. Batifol et al.

    Toxic metals and metalloids in high altitude alpine glaciers snow and ice

  • W. Beaufort et al.

    Release of particles containing metals from vegetation into the atmosphere

    Science, Wash.

    (1977)
  • C. Boutron

    Atmospheric toxic metals and metalloids in the snow and ice layers deposited in Greenland and Antarctica from prehistoric times to present

  • C. Boutron et al.

    Preconcentration of dilute solutions at the 10−12 g/g level by non boiling evaporation with variable variance calibration curves

    Analyt. Chem.

    (1979)
  • C. Boutron et al.

    Sources of twelve metals in Antarctic snows determined by principal component analysis

    J. geophys. Res.

    (1980)
  • M. Briat

    Dosage du chlore, du sodium et du manganèse par activation neutronique dans le névé Antarctique: origine et retombée de ces éléments

  • P. Buat-Menard et al.

    The heavy metal chemistry of atmospheric particulate matter emitted by Mount Etna volcano

    Geophys. Res. Lett.

    (1978)
  • D. Butler et al.

    Shallow core snow chemistry of Athabasca Glacier, Alberta

    Can. J. Earth Sci.

    (1980)
  • S.C. Colbeck

    A theory of water percolation in snow

    J. Glaciol.

    (1972)
  • S.C. Colbeck

    Tracer movement through the snow

  • R.A. Duce et al.

    Trace metals in the marine atmosphere: sources and fluxes

  • C. Elichegaray et al.

    Concentration chimique élémentaire de l'aérosol atmosphérique prélevé sur les Alpes Françaises

  • R.H. Engelmann

    Scavenging predictions using ratios of concentrations in air and in precipitation

  • Cited by (20)

    View all citing articles on Scopus
    View full text