Palaeolimnological Evidence for the Acidification and Atmospheric Contamination of Lochs in the Cairngorm and Lochnagar Areas of Scotland

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
1. A palaeolimnological investigation has shown that lochs in the Cairngorm and Lochnagar mountains of Scotland have been acidified and contaminated by air pollution. This is of particular concern in this area of national and international importance for nature conservation. 2. Of the five sites studied, four show a clear acidification. At three of these sites (Lochan Uaine, Lochnagar and Dubh Loch) acidification began in the mid to late nineteenth century. At the fourth site (Loch nan Eun) the onset of acidification cannot be established due to radiometric dating problems, but there has been a clear pH decline since 1900. There is no evidence of recent acidification at the fifth site (Loch Coire an Lochan), but interpretation of the sedimentary record is difficult due to the very low sediment accumulation rate. 3. All the lochs show evidence of atmospheric contamination indicated by increasing concentrations of carbonaceous particles. There is also evidence of enhanced lead and zinc concentrations at four of the sites (Lochan Uaine, Loch nan Eun, Dubh Loch and Lochnagar), and three sites (Lochnagar, Lochan Uaine and Dubh Loch also show increased concentrations of magnetic minerals. 4. The lochs are less acidified and less contaminated than sites situated in the south-west of Scotland where sulphur deposition is higher.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: