The local nature of anthropogenic emission sources on the elemental content of nearby ombrotrophic peat bogs, Vulkaneifel, Germany

Geochemical analyses of dated ombrotrophic peat cores from the Strohner Mar chen and the nearby Durre Maar, Eifel, Germany, were undertaken to identify the impact of the long local history of land reclamation and exploitation going back to the Neolithic Period, on the elemental content of ombrotrophi c peat bogs and on the atmospheric aerosol. Elemental concentrations in pea t were determined using XRF. Element/Ti ratios and enrichment factors (EFs) were calculated. The results show that the concentrations of soil-derived elements (Ba, K,Ti) closely follow changes in land use history going back a t least to the Eifel-Hunsruck culture (600-250 Be). The comparison of the S trohner Marchen and the Durre Maar reveals the strong influence of local em issions on the elemental content of ombrotrophic peat. Global atmospheric e nrichment trends or enrichments by long range transport are masked by the d ominating local input. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.