The subject of this research is the vertical migration of strontium-90 in peatlands of the European Subarctic region of Russia. The activity level of strontium-90 has been determined in peat samples, and the physicochemical parameters of peat deposits have been studied. The specific activity of the radionuclide has been determined using beta radiometric methods with radiochemical preparation according to the methodology. The physicochemical parameters of the peat have been determined using weight-based methods according to the specified procedures. The influence of physicochemical parameters on the vertical migration of the radionuclide in peatlands has been evaluated using correlation analysis. The results have shown that the specific activity of strontium-90 in peat deposits ranges from 0.25 to 7.7 Bq/kg. The results are consistent with typical values for all soils in Russia. The average value of the specific activity of strontium-90 in peat deposits is estimated to be 1.5±0.02 Bq/kg, which is below the established minimum values and average parameters for all soils in Russia. The pathways of vertical migration of strontium-90 in peat deposits demonstrate a downward direction with various trajectories. These pathways serve as a trace of past global atmospheric radioactive fallout. The vertical migration of strontium-90 in peat is associated with the organic matter content, ash content in peatlands, and recent local atmospheric fallout from nuclear fuel facilities. The research results provide valuable information for predicting the migration of strontium-90 into aquifers under changing environmental conditions due to the Arctic's rapid climate warming.

European natural peatlands have undergone long-term anthropogenic drainage activities that have severely decreased their functions, such as carbon sequestration. Recent rewetting has been conducted to restore the ecosystem services of peatlands and mitigate the emissions of potent greenhouse gases such as nitrous oxide (N₂O). However, the magnitudes and spatial patterns of annual N₂O fluxes and their mitigation potentials across European peatlands remain unknown. Here, we synthesized 492 annual N₂O flux data points from 77 in situ studies across European peatlands and found that the soil annual N₂O fluxes varied extensively from −1.08 to 33.40 kg N₂O–N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹; these results were significantly and interactively (P < 0.05) affected by the peatland status, climatic regime and nutrient supply type. Drainage significantly (P < 0.05) stimulated soil N₂O emissions from natural minerotrophic rather than ombrotrophic peatlands, regardless of the climatic regime. Similarly, rewetting significantly (P < 0.05) reduced soil N₂O emissions from drained minerotrophic rather than ombrotrophic peatlands, demonstrating that the high N₂O emissions were driven by a simultaneous decline in the water table depth and increase in the soil nitrogen (N) availability. Magnitudes of the increases or decreases in N₂O emissions due to drainage or rewetting were also significantly influenced by the land-use and drainage history before rewetting and in the years following drainage/rewetting, respectively. The estimated annual mean N₂O emission total was found to be 90.42 (95% confidence interval: 64.49–122.57) Gg N₂O–N in 2020 from European peatlands. Scenario analysis showed that drained peatlands should be rewetted expeditiously; postponing rewetting would cause larger emissions from continued N₂O emissions from drained peatlands. Fully rewetting the drained peatlands used for forestry and peat extraction and partially rewetting those used for agriculture and grassland comprise a strategy for mitigating drained peatland N₂O emissions without compromising food security.

Hydrochemical sampling of South Pennine (UK) headwater streams draining eroded upland peatlands demonstrates these systems are nitrogen saturated, with significant leaching of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), particularly ammonium, during both stormflow and baseflow conditions. DIN leaching at sub-catchment scale is controlled by geomorphological context; in catchments with low gully densities ammonium leaching dominates whereas highly gullied catchments leach ammonium and nitrate since lower water tables and increased aeration encourages nitrification. Stormflow flux calculations indicate that: approximately equivalent amounts of nitrate are deposited and exported; ammonium export significantly exceeds atmospheric inputs. This suggests two ammonium sources: high atmospheric loadings; and mineralisation of organic nitrogen stored in peat. Downstream trends indicate rapid transformation of leached ammonium into nitrate. It is important that low-order headwater streams are adequately considered when assessing impacts of atmospheric loads on the hydrochemistry of stream networks, especially with respect to erosion, climate change and reduced precipitation.

The effects of atmospheric pollution on plant species richness (nₛₚ) are of widespread concern. We carried out a modelling exercise to estimate how nₛₚ in British semi-natural ecosystems responded to atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (Ndₑₚ) and sulphur (Sdₑₚ) between 1800 and 2010. We derived a simple four-parameter equation relating nₛₚ to measured soil pH, and to net primary productivity (NPP), calculated with the N14CP ecosystem model. Parameters were estimated from a large data set (n = 1156) of species richness in four vegetation classes, unimproved grassland, dwarf shrub heath, peatland, and broadleaved woodland, obtained in 2007. The equation performed reasonably well in comparisons with independent observations of nₛₚ. We used the equation, in combination with modelled estimates of NPP (from N14CP) and soil pH (from the CHUM-AM hydrochemical model), to calculate changes in average nₛₚ over time at seven sites across Britain, assuming that variations in nₛₚ were due only to variations in atmospheric deposition. At two of the sites, two vegetation classes were present, making a total of nine site/vegetation combinations. In four cases, nₛₚ was affected about equally by pH and NPP, while in another four the effect of pH was dominant. The ninth site, a chalk grassland, was affected only by NPP, since soil pH was assumed constant. Our analysis suggests that the combination of increased NPP, due to fertilization by Ndₑₚ, and decreased soil pH, primarily due to Sdₑₚ, caused an average species loss of 39% (range 23–100%) between 1800 and the late 20th Century. The modelling suggests that in recent years nₛₚ has begun to increase, almost entirely due to reductions in Sdₑₚ and consequent increases in soil pH, but there are also indications of recent slight recovery from the eutrophying effects of Ndₑₚ.

Vertical profiles of Tl, Pb and Zn concentrations and Tl and Pb isotopic ratios in a contaminated peatland/fen (Wolbrom, Poland) were studied to address questions regarding (i) potential long-term immobility of Tl in a peat profile, and (ii) a possible link in Tl isotopic signatures between a Tl source and a peat sample. Both prerequisites are required for using peatlands as archives of atmospheric Tl deposition and Tl isotopic ratios as a source proxy. We demonstrate that Tl is an immobile element in peat with a conservative pattern synonymous to that of Pb, and in contrast to Zn. However, the peat Tl record was more affected by geogenic source(s), as inferred from the calculated element enrichments. The finding further implies that Tl was largely absent from the pre-industrial emissions (>~250 years BP). The measured variations in Tl isotopic ratios in respective peat samples suggest a consistency with anthropogenic Tl (ε²⁰⁵Tl between ~ -3 and −4), as well as with background Tl isotopic values in the study area (ε²⁰⁵Tl between ~0 and −1), in line with detected ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios (1.16–1.19). Therefore, we propose that peatlands can be used for monitoring trends in Tl deposition and that Tl isotopic ratios can serve to distinguish its origin(s). However, given that the studied fen has a particularly complicated geochemistry (attributed to significant environmental changes in its history), it seems that ombrotrophic peatlands could be better suited for this type of Tl research.

This study characterizes the impacts of transported peat-forest (PF) burning smoke on an urban environment and evaluates associated source burning conditions based on carbon properties of PM₂.₅ at the receptor site. We developed and validated a three-step classification that enables systematic and more rapid identification of PF smoke impacts on a tropical urban environment with diverse emissions and complex atmospheric processes. This approach was used to characterize over 300 daily PM₂.₅ data collected during 2011–2013, 2015 and 2019 in Singapore. A levoglucosan concentration of ≥0.1 μg/m³ criterion indicates dominant impacts of transported PF smoke on urban fine aerosols. This approach can be used in other ambient environments for practical and location-dependent applications. Organic carbon (OC) concentrations (as OC indicator) can be an alternate to levoglucosan for assessing smoke impacts on urban environments. Applying the OC concentration indicator identifies smoke impacts on ∼80% of daily samples in 2019 and shows an accuracy of 51–86% for hourly evaluation. Following the systematic identification of urban PM₂.₅ predominantly affected by PF smoke in 2011–2013, 2015 and 2019, we assessed the concentration ratio of char-EC/soot-EC as an indicator of smoldering- or flaming-dominated burning emissions. When under the influence of transported PF smoke, the mean concentration ratio of char-EC to soot-EC in urban PM₂.₅ decreased by >70% from 8.2 in 2011 to 2.3 in 2015 but increased to 3.8 in 2019 (p < 0.05). The reversed trend with a 65% increase from 2015 to 2019 shows stronger smoldering relative to flaming, indicating a higher level of soil moisture at smoke origins, possibly associated with rewetting and revegetating peatlands since 2016.

Ice and sediment cores, peat bogs and tree rings are useful proxy records for reconstructing historical air pollution events. However, these indirect measurements are subject to interferences caused by environmental perturbations including global climate change. Therefore, using multiple proxy records has advantages in constraining the analytical findings. In this study, we utilized the chronological record of atmospheric deposition preserved in vegetation succession ecosystems in the deglaciated region for reconstructing historical pollution events. The rate of Cd accumulation in the forest chronosequence zone was investigated in a deglaciated area of the Tibetan Plateau. The results obtained through this novel approach are consistent with the variations of Cd concentration recorded in tree-ring, showing a 4–7 times increase of atmospheric Cd deposition from the 1890s to the early 1970s followed by a decrease from the mid-1970s–2000s. The Cd pollution record indicates that elevated atmospheric Cd release occurred in regions of Southwest China and South Asia due to the rapid industrial development until 1970 followed by coordinated efforts in controlling air emissions after mid-1970s.

While considerable attention has been given to the measurement of mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) concentrations and accumulation in detailed peat cores in central Canada, the geographic distribution and density of sampling are generally limited. Here, we use the Ontario Peatland Inventory to examine broad patterns of Hg and Pb concentration with depth, based on 338 peat cores (containing >1500 analyzed samples) from 127 bogs, fens and swamps located in southeastern, northeastern and northwestern sections of Ontario. Overall, Hg concentrations averaged 0.05 μg g⁻¹ and that of Pb averaged 10.8 μg g⁻¹. Maximum values in the top 50 cm of the profiles are 0.08 μg g⁻¹ and 26.2 μg g⁻¹ for Hg and Pb, respectively. The ratio between these values (surface) and the values from below 100 cm (background), where peat likely accumulated before 1850 and industrial activities were limited, are 2.3 and 6.6 for Hg and Pb, respectively. The highest surface:background concentration ratios are generally found in the westernmost part of the province and in the southeast for Hg and around areas that are more heavily populated for Pb. Our results show that a vast amount of Hg and Pb are stored in Ontarian peatlands, although the spatial distribution of these stores varies. The rapid decomposition of peat in a changing climate could release these pollutants to the atmosphere.

In the Athabasca Oil Sands Region in northeastern Alberta, Canada, oil sands operators are testing the feasibility of peatland construction on the post-mining landscape. In 2009, Syncrude Canada Ltd. began construction of the 52 ha Sandhill Fen pilot watershed, including a 15 ha, hydrologically managed fen peatland built on sand-capped soft oil sands tailings. An integral component of fen reclamation is post-construction monitoring of water quality, including salinity, fluvial carbon, and priority pollutant elements. In this study, the effects of fen reclamation and elevated sulfate levels on mercury (Hg) fate and transport in the constructed system were assessed. Total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations in the fen sediment were lower than in two nearby natural fens, which may be due to the higher mineral content of the Sandhill Fen peat mix and/or a loss of Hg through evasion during the peat harvesting, stockpiling and placement processes. Porewater MeHg concentrations in the Sandhill Fen typically did not exceed 1.0 ng L−1. The low MeHg concentrations may be a result of elevated porewater sulfate concentrations (mean 346 mg L−1) and an increase in sulphide concentrations with depth in the peat, which are known to suppress MeHg production. Total Hg and MeHg concentrations increased during a controlled mid-summer flooding event where the water table rose above the ground surface in most of the fen. The Hg dynamics during this event showed that hydrologic fluctuations in this system exacerbate the release of THg and MeHg downstream. In addition, the elevated SO42− concentrations in the peat porewaters may become a problem with respect to downstream MeHg production once the fen is hydrologically connected to a larger wetland network that is currently being constructed.