[B-PT02] Biomineralization and Geochemistry of Proxies

[BPT02-P09] Heavy metal incorporation into foraminiferal tests

Leon Plakolm¹, Sergio Balzano², Matthias Nagy¹, *Petra Heinz¹, Daniela Gruber³, Katy Schmidt³, Martin Stockhausen⁴, Thilo Hofmann⁴, Michael Lintner⁵ (1.Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, 2.Department of Ecosustainable Marine Biotechnology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn Napoli (SZN), 3.Imaging Unit CIUS, Research Support Facilities, University of Vienna, 4.Department of Environmental Geosciences, University of Vienna, 5.ING PAN - Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences)

Keywords:foraminiferal tests, heavy metals

The chemical composition of benthic foraminiferal tests contains a lot of information that can be used as proxies for reconstructing environmental conditions. Even heavy metals can be incorporated into foraminiferal tests, making it possible to examine the anthropogenic influence on recent and past environmental systems. To investigate any heavy metal incorporation into foraminiferal tests living close to a former steel plant, sediment and foraminiferal tests in the Gulf of Naples (Bagnoli, Mediterranean Sea) were collected and analyzed by multiple geochemical and sedimentological analytical techniques. In Bagnoli, the now defunct ILVA steel plant, constructed between 1905 and 1910, was a leading contributor of metal pollution in the Gulf of Naples until its shutdown in 1990. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) revealed still exceptionally high levels of metals in the sediment samples taken close to the former steel plant. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) was used to determine concentrations of specific metals (iron, copper, nickel) within foraminiferal tests. Analyzed specimens (including agglutinated, miliolid and hyaline calcareous foraminiferal species) showed elevated quantities of metals (mainly iron) in their tests. Based on these findings, the metal pollution emitted by the former steel mill is still impacting foraminiferal tests.