Échantillonnage de sols dans les Cévennes
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L’article “Trace metals from historical mining sites and past metallurgical activity remain bioavailable to wildlife today” par Camizuli, E.; Scheifler, R.; Garnier, S.; Monna, F.; Losno, R.; Gourault, C.; Hamm, G.; Lachiche, C.; Delivet, G.; Chateau, C. & Alibert, P. vient d’être publié dans Scientific Reports. (2018) 8:3436.
Estelle Camizuli (camest9@gmail.com) vient de publier la dernière partie de sa thèse de doctorat traitant de l’écotoxicologie des mulots près des sites miniers abandonnés. Il s’avère que longtemps après que l’exploitation a cessé, les métaux contenus dans les sols continuent de contaminer les organismes vivants (ici les mulots sont utilisés comme bioindicateurs de la qualité des écosystèmes terrestres). Une corrélation négative est observée entre les indices de condition corporelle des animaux et la teneur en plomb. Ceci souligne l’effet délétère de ce métal sur le l’environnement, et cela sur le très long terme.
MISE A JOUR: L’étude vient d’être reprise dans le journal norvégien Morgenbladet. Télécharger l’article: Article_Morgenbladet.
Abstract: Throughout history, ancient human societies exploited mineral resources all over the world, even in areas that are now protected and considered to be relatively pristine. Here, we show that past mining still has an impact on wildlife in some French protected areas. We measured cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc concentrations in topsoils and wood mouse kidneys from sites located in the Cévennes and the Morvan. The maximum levels of metals in these topsoils are one or two orders of magnitude greater than their commonly reported mean values in European topsoils. The transfer to biota was effective, as the lead concentration (and to a lesser extent, cadmium) in wood mouse kidneys increased with soil concentration, unlike copper and zinc, providing direct evidence that lead emitted in the environment several centuries ago is still bioavailable to free-ranging mammals. The negative correlation between kidney lead concentration and animal body condition suggests that historical mining activity may continue to play a role in the complex relationships between trace metal pollution and body indices. Ancient mining sites could therefore be used to assess the long-term fate of trace metals in soils and the subsequent risks to human health and the environment.