A Comparative Study of the Vertical Profiles of Heavy Metal Concentration in Sediment Core Samples From the Ainoya Pond Neighboring Watarase Retarding Basin and Its Relation to Historic Copper Mining in Ashio

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  • OZAKI Hirokazu
    Department of Environmental Science on Biosphere, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
  • ICHISE Hiroshi
    Department of Environmental Science on Biosphere, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
  • FUKUSHI Kensuke
    Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science, The University of Tokyo
  • WATANABE Izumi
    Department of Environmental Science on Biosphere, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology

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  • 渡良瀬遊水地に隣接する沼（合の谷）で採取した底泥コア試料の重金属濃度の鉛直分布と足尾銅山による銅生産履歴の関係
  • ワタラセ ユウスイチ ニ リンセツ スル ヌマ(ゴウ ノ タニ)デ サイシュ シタ ソコ デイ コア シリョウ ノ ジュウキンゾク ノウド ノ エンチョク ブンプ ト アシオ ドウザン ニ ヨル ドウ セイサン リレキ ノ カンケイ

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Abstract

Vertical profiles of heavy metal concentration were studied using two sediment core samples collected from the Ainoya Pond, to investigate the pollution history of the Ashio copper mine. In the first core, increases in Mn, Cu, Zn, Ag, Cd, Sb, Pb and Bi were observed in the layers of 12-14 cm-depth and ＜2 cm-depth. In the second core, layers of 4-10 cm-depth and 15-19 cm-depth showed higher concentrations. The vertical changes corresponded to the chronological record of Cu production in Ashio. Pollution became apparent when modernized production began in the 1880s. The situation worsened with military expansion around the Japanese-Russo War, an economic development after WWI, and the rapid economic growth period of Japan in the 1960s. In contrast, pollution was alleviated at the end of, and immediately after, WWII when the production was declined. A significant increase in Ag, followed by Sb, Cu, Zn, and Pb, was observed in the surface layers of the first core. This may be attributed to imported ore, which was the main resource for production during the economic growth period. Even after taking vertical migration into account, it was revealed that ore importation had an effect on element concentration, particularly Ag.

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