Recent changes in major and trace elements in sediments from a remote mountain lake (6th Triglav Lake) in the Julian Alps, NW Slovenia

We collected a sediment core from the 6th (6J) Triglav Lake, a remote mountain lake in NW Slovenia, and analysed it for 25 elements, using k 0 -instrumental neutron activation analysis ( k 0 -INAA). For Hg, we used cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). Data were analysed using Principa...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Journal of paleolimnology Vol. 65; no. 1; pp. 69 - 83
Main Authors:	Muri, Gregor, Horvat, Milena, Kotnik, Jože, Muri, Boštjan, Vreča, Polona, Jaćimović, Radojko
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 2021 Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:	Absorption spectroscopy Activation analysis Allochthonous deposits Anthropogenic factors Atmospheric pollution deposition Atomic absorption analysis Atomic absorption spectroscopy Barium Calcium Catchment area Catchments Climate Change Cores Distribution Earth and Environmental Science Earth Sciences Eutrophication Fish Freshwater & Marine Ecology Geology Human influences Introduced fish Iron Lakes Mercury Minerals Mountain lakes Neutron activation analysis Organic matter Original Paper Oxidation Oxidoreductions Paleontology Physical Geography Primary production Principal components analysis Sediment Sediment samples Sedimentology Sediments Spectral analysis Spectrometry Stratigraphy Trace elements Water analysis Zinc Slovenia Geochemistry Double lake – Dvojno jezero Source attribution Mercury Principal Component Analysis Triglav National Park
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Summary:	We collected a sediment core from the 6th (6J) Triglav Lake, a remote mountain lake in NW Slovenia, and analysed it for 25 elements, using k 0 -instrumental neutron activation analysis ( k 0 -INAA). For Hg, we used cold vapour atomic absorption spectrometry (CVAAS). Data were analysed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA). PCA indicated several distinct groups of elements and sediment core samples. Ca distribution was entirely different from all other sediment components. Ba, Br, Hg, Sb and Zn were associated with organic matter (OM), with Hg showing the strongest affinity to OM. As, Cr, Fe and U formed a group of redox-sensitive elements. Two events that occurred ca. 1915 and in the 1940s/1950s, were identified in the core. They were associated with increased inputs of allochthonous material into the lake, and significantly affected the stratigraphic distributions of all elements. Some trace elements, such as As, Hg and Zn, are probably effectively retained in the catchment, whereas Cr tends to be readily exported from the catchment. Atmospheric deposition affected not only elements of anthropogenic origin (As, Ba, Br, Hg, Sb, Zn and Cr) that started to increase after the 1970s, but also those of terrestrial origin (Ca, Fe, Na). Introduction of fish into the lake in 1991 and the subsequent increase in primary production, affected the distribution of Ca and elements that are redox-sensitive and/or associated with OM (As, Ba, Fe, Sb, U, Zn). Fe minerals in uppermost 6J sediments have a strong influence on the distribution of several trace elements. As and Zn closely tracked Fe, whereas Sb was likely released after oxidation. Climate change could also have enhanced inputs of elements from the catchment, but such changes were likely overwhelmed by the effects of increased eutrophication.
ISSN:	0921-2728 1573-0417
DOI:	10.1007/s10933-020-00149-7