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Atmospheric pollution for trace elements in the remote high-altitude atmosphere in central Asia as recorded in snow from Mt. Qomolangma (Everest) of the Himalayas

Cited 78 time in wos
Cited 75 time in scopus
Title
Atmospheric pollution for trace elements in the remote high-altitude atmosphere in central Asia as recorded in snow from Mt. Qomolangma (Everest) of the Himalayas
Other Titles
에베레스트 눈시료에 기록된 중앙아시아 고원지대에서의 미량원소 대기오염
Authors
Y. Liu
J. Ren
Lee, Khanghyun
C.F. Boutron
S. Hou
C. Barbante
K.J.R. Rosman
X. Qin
Hong, Sung-Min
Hur, Soon Do
Subject
Environmental Sciences & Ecology
Keywords
Anthropogenic pollutionFallout fluxMonsoon and non-monsoonMt. EverestTrace elements
Issue Date
2008
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
Y. Liu, et al. 2008. "Atmospheric pollution for trace elements in the remote high-altitude atmosphere in central Asia as recorded in snow from Mt. Qomolangma (Everest) of the Himalayas". SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, 404(1): 171-181.
Abstract
A series of 42 snow samples covering over a one-year period from the fall of 2004 to the summer of 2005 were collected from a 2.1-m snow pit at a high-altitude site on the northeastern slope of Mt. Everest. These samples were analyzed for Al, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Rb, Sr, Cd, Sb, Pb, and Bi in order to characterize the relative contributions from anthropogenic and natural sources to the fallout of these elements in central Himalayas. Our data were also considered in the context of monsoon versus non-monsoon seasons. The mean concentrations of the majority of the elements were determined to be at the pg g?1 level with a strong variation in concentration with snow depth. While the mean concentrations of most of the elements were significantly higher during the nonmonsoon season than during the monsoon season, considerable variability in the trace element inputs to the snow was observed during both periods. Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Sb, and Bi displayed high crustal enrichment factors (EFc) in most samples, while Cr, Ni, Rb, and Pb show high EFc values in some of the samples. Our data indicate that anthropogenic inputs are potentially important for these elements in the remote high-altitude atmosphere in the central Himalayas. The relationship between the EFc of each element and the Al concentration indicates that a dominant input of anthropogenic trace elements occurs during both the monsoon and non-monsoon seasons, when crustal contribution is relatively minor. Finally, a comparison of the trace element fallout fluxes calculated in our samples with those recently obtained at Mont Blanc, Greenland, and Antarctica provides direct evidence for a geographical gradient of the atmospheric pollution with trace elements on a global scale.
URI
https://repository.kopri.re.kr/handle/201206/6306
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.06.022
Type
Article
Indexed
SCI
Appears in Collections  
2006-2009, IPY International Trans-Antarctic Scientific Expedition and Glaciological Fundamental Development (06-09) / Hong, Sungmin (PP06010, PP07010, PG07013, PP08010, PP09010)
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