| Type of Document |
Master's Thesis |
| Author |
Cassidy, Brianne Michelle
|
| URN |
etd-12112008-194258 |
| Title |
A 94-Year Lake Sediment Record of Industrial Pollutants in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Area |
| Degree |
Master of Science |
| Program |
Geology and Planetary Science |
| School |
School of Arts and Sciences |
| Advisory Committee |
| Advisor Name |
Title |
| Mark B. Abbott |
Committee Chair |
| Daniel J. Bain |
Committee Member |
| Michael F. Rosenmeier |
Committee Member |
|
| Keywords |
- soot
- limnology
- smoke
- air pollution
- steel
|
| Date of Defense |
2008-11-21 |
| Availability |
restricted |
Abstract
A 47.0 cm lake core was taken from Panther Hollow Lake, a small manmade lake located in Schenley Park within the City of Pittsburgh. The core was analyzed for geochemical evidence of the region’s industrial history during the twentieth century. Physical and geochemical proxies showed that the lake sediments contained trace metal concentrations that are an order of magnitude above natural background levels, including high levels of heavy metals throughout the period of study and increasing concentrations of alkali and alkali earth metals. Lead was found at concentrations as high as 350 ppm in the core although chromium, arsenic, nickel, and vanadium are all well above background levels throughout the twentieth century. Depths were converted to age assuming a 0.5 cm/yr sedimentation rate. Using this age model, the shifts in concentrations of the industry-related metals align with changes made to environmental laws and industrial output in the region.
|
| Files |
| Filename |
Size |
Approximate Download Time
(Hours:Minutes:Seconds)
|
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56K Modem |
ISDN (64 Kb) |
ISDN (128 Kb) |
Higher-speed Access |
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Cassidy_08.12.21_etd5.pdf |
2.35 Mb |
00:10:53 |
00:05:35 |
00:04:53 |
00:02:26 |
00:00:12 |
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