Sediment–Water Interactions in an Eroded and Heavy Metal Contaminated Peatland Catchment, Southern Pennines, UK

Abstract

Atmospherically deposited lead in the upper layer of the heavily eroded peatlands of the Peak District, southern Pennines, UK, reaches concentrations in excess of 1,000 mg kg−1. Erosion of the upper peat layer in this region is releasing lead, associated with eroded peat particles, into the fluvial system. Understanding the process mechanisms that control dissolved lead concentrations in contaminated peatland streams is vital for understanding lead cycling and transport in peatland streams. Many headwater streams of the southern Pennines recharge drinking water reservoirs. Measurements in the Upper North Grain (UNG) study catchment show that mean sediment-associated and dissolved lead concentrations are 102±39.4 mg kg−1 and 5.73±2.16 µg l−1, respectively. Experimental evidence demonstrates that lead can desorb from suspended sediments, composed of contaminated peat, into stream waters. In-stream processing could therefore account for the elevated dissolved lead concentrations in the fluvial system of UNG.