Rare earth elements as statistical sentinels of pollution and paleoenvironments?: Application to a highly polluted estuary in southwestern Spain

Multivariate analyses have been applied to the REE contents of three cores collected in the Tinto estuary, SW Spain, an extremely polluted area. Results indicate an extremely correlation between all REE, which behave as a single variable. A slight natural pollution peak and three anthropogenic pollu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Marine pollution bulletin 2023-01, Vol.186, p.114419, Article 114419
Main Authors: Romero, Verónica, Ruiz, Francisco, Prudencio, María Isabel, Muñoz, Juan Manuel, Vidal, Joaquín Rodríguez, Gómez, Paula, Abad, Manuel, Izquierdo, Tatiana, Dias, María Isabel, Marques, Rosa, Rodrigues, Ana Luisa, Cáceres, Luis Miguel, González-Regalado, María Luz, Pozo, Manuel, Toscano, Antonio, Arroyo, Marta
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Environmental Monitoring - methods
Environmental Pollution - analysis
Estuaries
Metals, Rare Earth - analysis
Miocene-Recent
Paleoenvironments
Pollution peaks
Rare earth elements
Spain
SW Spain
Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis
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Summary:Multivariate analyses have been applied to the REE contents of three cores collected in the Tinto estuary, SW Spain, an extremely polluted area. Results indicate an extremely correlation between all REE, which behave as a single variable. A slight natural pollution peak and three anthropogenic pollution peaks are identified, related with the first mining activities, the Roman period and a recent intensive mining accompanied by a heavy industrial pollution. In all these peaks, the increase of Cu is parallel to that of MREE, which are configured as the best indicators of pollution among REE. Statistical analyses clearly differentiate four groups, each consisting of samples from different environments. Although grain size and this strong pollution alter the study of REE as environmental indicators, it is possible to recognise groups of samples with a common origin or to identify the surface extent of a given pollution peak. [Display omitted] •Four pollution peaks have been detected in the Holocene record of an ancient inlet.•REE Copper and MREE are the best indicators of these peaks in this area.•All REE behave as a single statistical variable in all statistical studies.•The palaeoenvironmental origin of some reworked Holocene sediments can be determined.
ISSN:0025-326X
1879-3363
DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114419