Earth's global Ag, Al, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, Pb, and Zn cycles

• Published in: Global biogeochemical cycles Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. GB2001 - n/a
• Main Authors: Rauch, Jason N., Pacyna, Jozef M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Geophysical Union 01-06-2009; Blackwell Publishing Ltd
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biogeochemical cycles, processes, and modeling; Biogeosciences; Biological and medical sciences; cycle; Earth sciences; Earth system modeling; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Geochemical cycles; Geochemistry; global; Global Change; metal; Metals; Synecology; metal; cycle; global; Human; nickel; chromium; biogeochemical cycle; nitrogen; metals; air; aluminum; human activity; lead; stocks; nutrients; Earth; carbon; copper; iron; sulfur; silver; zinc; flow; Anthropogenic factor; phosphorus
• ISSN: 0886-6236; 1944-9224
• DOI: 10.1029/2008GB003376

The stocks and flows of the global silver, aluminum, chromium, copper, iron, nickel, lead, and zinc cycles quantify over 98% of the total mass of metal mobilized by human activity at the turn of the 21st century. Iron and aluminum, representing >95% by mass of all metals mined, are for the first time assessed for global anthropogenic emissions to air, water, and land. Anthropogenic activity has significantly perturbed Earth's natural biogeochemical cycles, attested by the “grand nutrient” cycles of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur and further revealed here by the “anthrobiogeochemical” cycles of metals. We demonstrate that humans today mobilize about half the metal mass of these global elemental metal cycles.