Greenland Ice Core ACT2 Toxic Heavy Metals Data ----------------------------------------------------------------------- World Data Center for Paleoclimatology, Boulder and NOAA Paleoclimatology Program ----------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTE: PLEASE CITE ORIGINAL REFERENCE WHEN USING THIS DATA!!!!! NAME OF DATA SET: Greenland Ice Core ACT2 Toxic Heavy Metals Data LAST UPDATE: 10/2008 (Correction of units labels. Data units are nanograms per gram, not picograms per gram as originally listed) CONTRIBUTOR: Joseph R. McConnell, Desert Research Institute IGBP PAGES/WDCA CONTRIBUTION SERIES NUMBER: 2008-079 WDC PALEO CONTRIBUTION SERIES CITATION: McConnell, J.R., and R. Edwards. 2008. Greenland Ice Core ACT2 Toxic Heavy Metals Data. IGBP PAGES/World Data Center for Paleoclimatology Data Contribution Series # 2008-079. NOAA/NCDC Paleoclimatology Program, Boulder CO, USA. ORIGINAL REFERENCE: McConnell, J.R. and R. Edwards. 2008. Coal burning leaves toxic heavy metal legacy in the Arctic. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, doi:10.1073/pnas.0803564105 (published online in PNAS Early Edition, August 18, 2008). ABSTRACT: Toxic heavy metals emitted by industrial activities in the midlatitudes are transported through the atmosphere and deposited in the polar regions; bioconcentration and biomagnification in the food chain mean that even low levels of atmospheric deposition may threaten human health and Arctic ecosystems. Little is known about sources and long-term trends of most heavy metals before ~1980, when modern measurements began, although heavy-metal pollution in the Arctic was widespread during recent decades. Lacking detailed, long-term measurements until now, ecologists, health researchers, and policy makers generally have assumed that contamination was highest during the 1960s and 1970s peak of industrial activity in North America and Europe. We present continuous 1772–2003 monthly and annually averaged deposition records for highly toxic thallium, cadmium, and lead from a Greenland ice core showing that atmospheric deposition was much higher than expected in the early 20th century, with tenfold increases from preindustrial levels by the early 1900s that were two to five times higher than during recent decades. Tracer measurements indicate that coal burning in North America and Europe was the likely source of these metals in the Arctic after 1860. Although these results show that heavy-metal pollution in the North Atlantic sector of the Arctic is substantially lower today than a century ago, contamination of other sectors may be increasing because of the rapid coal-driven growth of Asian economies. GEOGRAPHIC REGION: Greenland PERIOD OF RECORD: 1772 - 2002 AD FUNDING SOURCES: Collection and analysis of the ACT2 ice core were supported by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Cryospheric Processes and Program (J.R.M.), with additional support from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) Arctic Natural Sciences (J.R.M. and R.E.). The NSF Major Research Instrumentation program supported development of the continuous ice core analytical method and acquisition of the laboratory instruments (J.R.M.). DESCRIPTION: Greenland ice core annual toxic heavy metals (Cadmium, Lead, Thallium) data for the last 230 years. ACT2 Ice Core, Greenland (collected in 2004): 66.0°N, 45.2°W, elev. 2410m. Concentrations are annual averages in nanograms per gram. Note: This is a correction for the units labels. Data units are nanograms per gram, not picograms per gram as originally listed in this file. DATA: 1. ACT2 ice core toxic heavy metals data Column 1: Year AD Column 2: Cadmium (nanograms per gram) Column 3: Lead (nanograms per gram) Column 4: Thallium (nanograms per gram) Year Cadmium Lead Thallium 1772.5 0.000470907 0.00481428 0.0000565 1773.5 0.00116052 0.00594122 0.0000735 1774.5 0.000898976 0.0141341 0.0000647 1775.5 0.000676521 0.00950036 0.000075 1776.5 0.000571111 0.00811591 0.0000734 1777.5 0.000362924 0.0066644 0.0000625 1778.5 0.000581486 0.0105004 0.000103571 1779.5 0.00306015 0.0119884 0.0000888 1780.5 0.0027317 0.00800132 0.0000816 1781.5 0.000799104 0.00873804 0.0000675 1782.5 0.00152446 0.0074378 0.0000674 1783.5 0.00545841 0.0137111 0.00035926 1784.5 0.000600699 0.00891317 0.0000812 1785.5 0.00094845 0.00893766 0.0000867 1786.5 0.000709765 0.00930194 0.0000848 1787.5 0.000409146 0.00793164 0.0000645 1788.5 0.00048231 0.00815525 0.0000548 1789.5 0.000577276 0.012761 0.000108797 1790.5 0.000780259 0.0168989 0.0000903 1791.5 0.000626481 0.0162327 0.000112701 1792.5 0.000694864 0.0107227 0.0000645 1793.5 0.00170695 0.0116751 0.000345928 1794.5 0.00119384 0.0159742 0.00020176 1795.5 0.000750478 0.0112039 0.00011785 1796.5 0.000762525 0.00780198 0.0000578 1797.5 0.000278062 0.00577196 0.0000687 1798.5 0.000485378 0.00601868 0.0000603 1799.5 0.000473586 0.00587788 0.0000638 1800.5 0.00117113 0.00724264 0.0000609 1801.5 0.00171901 0.0117175 0.0000499 1802.5 0.00071011 0.00890944 0.0000582 1803.5 0.00038862 0.00648635 0.0000451 1804.5 0.000478172 0.00617144 0.0000624 1805.5 0.000812263 0.00613577 0.000125213 1806.5 0.000482164 0.00846434 0.0000559 1807.5 0.000883909 0.00409305 0.0000604 1808.5 0.000489255 0.0091015 0.000063 1809.5 0.000562187 0.00699252 0.0000838 1810.5 0.001007 0.0131635 0.000178136 1811.5 0.000648203 0.00849137 0.0000964 1812.5 0.000475697 0.0060877 0.000107228 1813.5 0.000798379 0.0129082 0.000124332 1814.5 0.00144874 0.0238096 0.0000929 1815.5 0.000393866 0.00672255 0.0000567 1816.5 0.00102801 0.00942155 0.0000729 1817.5 0.000725426 0.0073693 0.0000557 1818.5 0.000450742 0.00903767 0.0000617 1819.5 0.000923772 0.0090699 0.0000721 1820.5 0.000808017 0.00941319 0.000119724 1821.5 0.000954505 0.0138999 0.000094 1822.5 0.00046331 0.00353616 0.0000824 1823.5 0.000462246 0.00809992 0.000117804 1824.5 0.000485886 0.00833921 0.0000757 1825.5 0.000265447 0.00685439 0.0000599 1826.5 0.000522974 0.0063113 0.0000617 1827.5 0.00126479 0.0118065 0.0000475 1828.5 0.000490104 0.016342 0.0000792 1829.5 0.000544901 0.00620397 0.0000656 1830.5 0.000438142 0.0125681 0.0000575 1831.5 0.000272368 0.00777113 0.0000344 1832.5 0.000404791 0.00661841 0.0000317 1833.5 0.00266636 0.0196497 0.0000526 1834.5 0.000880645 0.0132233 0.0000612 1835.5 0.000978776 0.0245286 0.0000855 1836.5 0.000689327 0.00894551 0.000093 1837.5 0.000731945 0.0184467 0.000122043 1838.5 0.00031502 0.0095137 0.000081 1839.5 0.0003742 0.0105804 0.0000772 1840.5 0.000502485 0.0171375 0.00011238 1841.5 0.000518995 0.013205 0.0000868 1842.5 0.00074559 0.0118206 0.0000896 1843.5 0.00061997 0.00884133 0.0000735 1844.5 0.000478528 0.0112171 0.000100456 1845.5 0.000287055 0.0081404 0.0000526 1846.5 0.000561621 0.0107893 0.00007 1847.5 0.000506598 0.00857249 0.0000584 1848.5 0.000458986 0.0103015 0.000066 1849.5 0.000376436 0.0083296 0.0000599 1850.5 0.000672029 0.0217401 0.0000976 1851.5 0.000215759 0.0142772 0.0000772 1852.5 0.000377452 0.011189 0.0000647 1853.5 0.000501109 0.0125561 0.0000749 1854.5 0.0003397 0.0094133 0.0000634 1855.5 0.000360209 0.0082712 0.0000644 1856.5 0.00037144 0.00948242 0.0000782 1857.5 0.000244018 0.00785693 0.0000586 1858.5 0.000303457 0.00767127 0.0000744 1859.5 0.000500314 0.0103701 0.0000684 1860.5 0.000257744 0.00839661 0.0000568 1861.5 0.00121466 0.0552057 0.000208613 1862.5 0.00100253 0.0159863 0.000164586 1863.5 0.000482143 0.011356 0.000123465 1864.5 0.00418973 0.0286046 0.000139857 1865.5 0.000789264 0.0134751 0.000072 1866.5 0.000514592 0.0150972 0.0000795 1867.5 0.00044001 0.0121271 0.0000633 1868.5 0.000548268 0.00941058 0.0000735 1869.5 0.000664634 0.0164297 0.0000873 1870.5 0.00103885 0.0236668 0.000129508 1871.5 0.000665068 0.0223571 0.000107498 1872.5 0.000633836 0.0183481 0.000138545 1873.5 0.000635074 0.0215842 0.000118338 1874.5 0.00198182 0.0114594 0.0000632 1875.5 0.000566731 0.0219715 0.0000757 1876.5 0.000651784 0.0286706 0.000102769 1877.5 0.000544529 0.0228884 0.000100916 1878.5 0.000711049 0.0164649 0.0000611 1879.5 0.000815386 0.0323923 0.0000827 1880.5 0.00133207 0.0427649 0.00023889 1881.5 0.00111359 0.0489528 0.000176174 1882.5 0.000745825 0.0378393 0.000108838 1883.5 0.000682898 0.0411076 0.00010546 1884.5 0.00122233 0.0417574 0.000177098 1885.5 0.000799472 0.0275802 0.0000884 1886.5 0.0014333 0.0502688 0.000148183 1887.5 0.0013603 0.0839982 0.000105386 1888.5 0.00125923 0.0724327 0.000171116 1889.5 0.0016235 0.0994244 0.000121397 1890.5 0.00537481 0.13713 0.000463696 1891.5 0.00120166 0.0547202 0.000199914 1892.5 0.00208746 0.114557 0.000242906 1893.5 0.00482166 0.198466 0.000619754 1894.5 0.00221113 0.0740209 0.000214103 1895.5 0.000782015 0.0274419 0.0000977 1896.5 0.00107579 0.0305747 0.000101076 1897.5 0.00101746 0.0299757 0.000100918 1898.5 0.00388682 0.153665 0.000272585 1899.5 0.00193824 0.090653 0.0000928 1900.5 0.00259033 0.0889051 0.000184667 1901.5 0.000958419 0.0285233 0.0000894 1902.5 0.00243273 0.127787 0.000227726 1903.5 0.00309244 0.102473 0.000329312 1904.5 0.00295682 0.0858105 0.000356374 1905.5 0.00732851 0.163683 0.000583805 1906.5 0.0101433 0.115233 0.000370185 1907.5 0.00133065 0.0481044 0.000147363 1908.5 0.00392443 0.0889101 0.000419081 1909.5 0.00224936 0.0708418 0.000219731 1910.5 0.00245436 0.0885881 0.000264769 1911.5 0.00651936 0.177862 0.000577639 1912.5 0.00273959 0.0828952 0.000253263 1913.5 0.00234644 0.0776066 0.000290805 1914.5 0.00618756 0.213019 0.000579698 1915.5 0.00921605 0.302669 0.00098674 1916.5 0.00295366 0.0947757 0.000308533 1917.5 0.00332645 0.0807048 0.000259202 1918.5 0.00223136 0.0651715 0.00025271 1919.5 0.00476454 0.0713188 0.000327693 1920.5 0.00268519 0.059644 0.000239189 1921.5 0.00163786 0.0460393 0.00019856 1922.5 0.00150718 0.0474584 0.000168575 1923.5 0.00168124 0.0405263 0.000171079 1924.5 0.00286813 0.0647731 0.000249111 1925.5 0.00207092 0.0573082 0.000206982 1926.5 0.00167093 0.0458276 0.00016623 1927.5 0.00362722 0.0668496 0.000295978 1928.5 0.00263595 0.113896 0.000251203 1929.5 0.00206357 0.0638451 0.000272829 1930.5 0.00272873 0.0554072 0.00026791 1931.5 0.00100185 0.0336966 0.000134186 1932.5 0.00192132 0.0456324 0.000199759 1933.5 0.00164716 0.0367162 0.000175607 1934.5 0.00227896 0.0429286 0.0001579 1935.5 0.00607877 0.109286 0.000375651 1936.5 0.00415739 0.0758041 0.0002612 1937.5 0.00382533 0.0488666 0.000185242 1938.5 0.00226053 0.0506576 0.000160409 1939.5 0.00985339 0.0688847 0.000174684 1940.5 0.00248353 0.0614148 0.000163844 1941.5 0.00255591 0.0624222 0.000165003 1942.5 0.00256273 0.0755562 0.000204579 1943.5 0.00401757 0.221095 0.00039623 1944.5 0.00147539 0.0700678 0.000227475 1945.5 0.00139548 0.0586183 0.000153865 1946.5 0.0218235 0.133441 0.000324374 1947.5 0.00451432 0.102279 0.000376365 1948.5 0.00209857 0.0784531 0.000236488 1949.5 0.00138147 0.0597451 0.000142094 1950.5 0.00653386 0.422547 0.000629082 1951.5 0.00232737 0.120676 0.000277877 1952.5 0.00214304 0.134539 0.000172514 1953.5 0.00292905 0.147335 0.000243088 1954.5 0.00223484 0.112734 0.000166458 1955.5 0.00272254 0.190428 0.000246365 1956.5 0.00440384 0.207699 0.000227914 1957.5 0.00198268 0.176988 0.000224106 1958.5 0.0023595 0.273282 0.000199725 1959.5 0.0041762 0.267142 0.000247821 1960.5 0.00146836 0.123212 0.000151474 1961.5 0.00386532 0.187099 0.0002086 1962.5 0.00273917 0.16112 0.000189345 1963.5 0.0020808 0.135876 0.000139083 1964.5 0.00178195 0.124831 0.000173536 1965.5 0.00163345 0.136386 0.000111249 1966.5 0.00201392 0.127742 0.000128466 1967.5 0.00343302 0.34904 0.000282023 1968.5 0.0026457 0.241961 0.00017981 1969.5 0.00337094 0.334526 0.000220923 1970.5 0.00430349 0.33969 0.000461226 1971.5 0.00150704 0.135181 0.000152992 1972.5 0.00189122 0.110884 0.000138601 1973.5 0.00141619 0.0995065 0.0000976 1974.5 0.00202135 0.151346 0.000136796 1975.5 0.00340154 0.226143 0.000315794 1976.5 0.0029267 0.240117 0.000181159 1977.5 0.00107425 0.131417 0.000102553 1978.5 0.00136117 0.118387 0.000092 1979.5 0.00288784 0.198757 0.000203054 1980.5 0.00251759 0.113043 0.000130824 1981.5 0.0023927 0.0979715 0.00015075 1982.5 0.00913672 0.0609473 0.000101197 1983.5 0.00214636 0.0474113 0.0000873 1984.5 0.00111422 0.0528109 0.0000895 1985.5 0.00152967 0.0893891 0.000169967 1986.5 0.00173817 0.0401462 0.000102578 1987.5 0.0011261 0.032922 0.0000709 1988.5 0.00145401 0.0381812 0.0000966 1989.5 0.00277406 0.0288745 0.0000909 1990.5 0.00269552 0.0249661 0.0000781 1991.5 0.000696761 0.0188711 0.0000887 1992.5 0.0008474 0.0237025 0.000103723 1993.5 0.00209632 0.020011 0.000128396 1994.5 0.00155477 0.0178767 0.0000784 1995.5 0.00132737 0.0336963 0.000145997 1996.5 0.00253851 0.030971 0.0000967 1997.5 0.00135593 0.0450326 0.000146242 1998.5 0.00122894 0.0229745 0.0000994 1999.5 0.00228453 0.0255451 0.0000931 2000.5 0.00171127 0.0250761 0.000103418 2001.5 0.00284366 0.0296336 0.0001207 2002.5 0.000969744 0.0140607 0.0000699