Rm. Lent et al., THE HISTORY OF METAL POLLUTION NEAR A LEAD SMELTER IN SPENCER GULF, SOUTH-AUSTRALIA, Toxicological and environmental chemistry, 36(3-4), 1992, pp. 139-153
Two cores were collected from supratidal estuarine sediment near the l
ead smelter located at Port Pirie, South Australia. These sediment cor
es were analyzed for trace metal (Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, Cd and Ag) concentra
tions and excess Pb-210 activity. Both cores, PP1 and PP2. exhibited t
race metal enrichments well above the expected background concentratio
ns for uncontaminated sediments. In particular, PP2 located down the p
revailing wind direction from the smelter, contained extremely high co
ncentrations of Pb, Zn and Cd, 2960, 5390, and 120 mugg-1. By combinin
g the metal concentration data and the excess Pb-210 data we were able
to construct histories of the flux of metal to the sediment. Maximum
trace metal fluxes to the Gulf appear to have occurred in the 1950-196
0s while minima took place during the Great Depression period into Wor
ld War II. The maxima fluxes of Pb, Cd and Zn downwind from the smelte
r are as high as ever reported in an aquatic environment.