Pb and Cd stable isotopes as tracers of anthropogenic metal sources, deposition, and uptake

Blanca Maria Astray Uceda

Disertační práce

Abstract:

Anthropogenic activities alter natural biogeochemical cycles, increasing the mobility of toxic metals across environmental compartments. Understanding their transport and fate is essential to assess their impact. This thesis explores Pb and Cd stable isotopes as metal tracers from atmospheric transport to biological uptake. While Pb isotopes reflect source signatures, Cd isotopes provide insights into biogeochemical processes. First, long-range Pb transport is addressed in the Arctic using snow samples from Greenland, Svalbard and Iceland. Filtration prior to isotope analysis is key to distinguishing fine anthropogenic particles from coarser local and coal-related inputs. In contrast, the industrial urban environment of Ostrava shows limited fractionation between filtrate and residue, but benefits from a multi-proxy approach (snow, lichens and \pmten filters). Pb-bearing particles are identified by automated and manual SEM-EDS. Trends from 2015 to 2021 suggest a modest decline in extreme Pb inputs, while maintaining stable industrial hotspots next to the smelter. Soil affected by historical smelting in Avilés is magnetically separated, concentrating anthropogenic particles with distinct Pb and Cd isotope signatures linked to industrial emissions. Finally, Cd transfer to the hyperaccumulator \textit{Noccaea caerulescens} is studied in soils from Avilés and \pribramspace under nano zero-valent iron amendments, highlighting strong controls of soil properties on Cd mobility, uptake, and isotope fractionation. Overall, this thesis demonstrates that Pb and Cd stable isotope systems, combined with complementary techniques, provide a robust framework to trace metal pollution across environmental compartments from sources to biological uptake.

Keywords

Stable isotope analysis, Pb, Anthropogenic particulate, Cd, Metal tracing

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 10. 5. 2026

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedoucí: prof. RNDr. Vladislav Chrastný, Ph.D.
• Oponent: Eva Martinková, externi, Luke Beesley, externi

Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze

Fakulta životního prostředí

Doktorský studijní program / specializace:
Environmental Earth Sciences / Environmental Geosciences