Dr Helen Miller, and colleagues from G&G, Geochemistry and the British Geological Survey have published a new research article in Environmental Science & Technology entitled “A 500 Year Sediment Lake Record of Anthropogenic and Natural Inputs to Windermere (English Lake District) Using Double-Spike Lead Isotopes, Radiochronology, and Sediment Microanalysis”.

The paper combines nondestructive and high precision analytical techniques to determine the timing and scale of anthropogenic inputs to Windermere. Sediment analysis techniques used include high-resolution Itrax analysis (validated against WD-XRF), radiochronology (210Pb and137Cs), and ultrahigh precision, double spike lead isotopes. The results provide new insights into the pollutant depositional history of Windermere and demonstrate the effectiveness of an integrated approach when investigating pollution signals in lacustrine environments.

For more details, see: http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es5008998