Base metal pollution as a result of historical ore smelting in the Romanian Carpathians throughout the Holocene

Abstract

In Europe the characteristics, distribution and effects of recent pollution are well known, with monitoring observations existing at a continental scale. However, estimates of long-term pollution are restricted to central-western Europe, the British Isles and Scandinavia. In Eastern Europe in particular, the lack of such estimates has led to incomplete understanding of regional differences. When coupled to the insufficient knowledge of past emission sources and isotopic signatures of various ores, it is clear there are gaps in our knowledge of the history of pollution in this area. As a result, the causal relationships between humans and the environment are insufficiently explored, particularly within the Carpathian region - one with significant mineral wealth and a long history of human presence