Primary Convener:
Heather Haines, University of Nevada, Reno

Convener:
Ana Ruiz-Fernandez, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Sophia Wensman, Desert Research Institute
Adam Csank, University of Nevada, Reno

Chair:
Heather Haines, University of Nevada, Reno
Sophia Wensman, Desert Research Institute
Adam Csank, University of Nevada, Reno

Although found naturally in the environment, potentially toxic elements (EPTs, including but not limited to arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and zinc) are of concern due to release and/or redistribution in the environment from anthropogenic activities. Contamination from EPTs can build up in the air, water, soil, and sediments creating environmental damage and harming human health. Although modern direct measurements of pollutants inform us about current trends, there is a need to better understand historical trends in metal(loid) pollution to improve our understanding of historic contamination and its importance to environmental health. Proxy records from a variety of sources, including sediment cores, ice cores, tree rings, and others, can be used as recorders of environmental contamination. This session seeks contributions on historical trends in metal(loid) pollution from both anthropogenic and natural sources from proxy records. We encourage presentations documenting new methodologies analyzing trends as well as the development of long-term datasets.

Index Terms
0432 Contaminant and organic biogeochemistry
0473 Paleoclimatology and paleoceanography
1615 Biogeochemical cycles, processes, and modeling

Suggested Itineraries:
Biochemistry

Cross-Listed:
A - Atmospheric Sciences
GC - Global Environmental Change

Neighborhoods:
3. Earth Covering