Geochemical Impacts of Atmospheric Deposition in Peatland Systems

Peatlands occupy a critical role in the global carbon cycle and in the long-term storage of atmospheric pollutants. By virtue of their ombrotrophic nature, many raised mire systems receive all mineral and chemical inputs directly from precipitation and airborne particulates, rendering them highly sensitive archives of atmospheric deposition. Inputs of acidifying species, trace metals, nutrients and mineral dust influence peat chemistry, microbial activity and carbon sequestration rates. Metal and metalloid fluxes record industrial emissions, while mineral dust can furnish limiting nutrients such as phosphorus, stimulating primary productivity and accelerating peat accumulation. Conversely, acid deposition can mobilise bound metals, alter pore-water pH and disrupt peatland hydrology. Redox processes mediated by water‐table fluctuations determine the speciation and retention of elements such as iron, sulphur and manganese, influencing both peat preservation and downstream water quality. Peat cores therefore serve not only as historical records of environmental change but also as sentinels for ongoing atmospheric pollution, with implications for ecosystem services, water resources and climate modelling.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies of northern temperate peatlands have demonstrated that variations in the mineral dust fraction can exert a major control on carbon burial. Analyses of millennial-scale peat sequences reveal that shifts in dust mineralogy—particularly increased inputs of phosphate- and feldspar-rich dust—can enhance nutrient supply, boost net primary productivity and drive sustained episodes of accelerated carbon accumulation. Complementary research on peatlands spanning the mid-20th century highlights how anthropogenic particles, notably spheroidal aluminosilicates produced by coal combustion, serve both as tracers of industrialisation and as vectors for rare earth elements. These investigations underscore the dual role of dust: as a pollutant indicator and as an ecological modifier that can influence peatland carbon dynamics over decadal to millennial timescales.

Geochemical Impacts of Atmospheric Deposition in Peatland Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in geochemical impacts of atmospheric deposition in peatland systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

ombrotrophic: A peatland ecosystem that receives all water and nutrients exclusively from atmospheric sources, such as rainfall or snowfall.

spheroidal aluminosilicates (SAP): Spherical, high-temperature combustion particles rich in aluminium and silicon, serving as markers of anthropogenic emissions.

enrichment factor: A calculated ratio comparing an element’s concentration in peat to a natural background level, used to assess the degree of pollution.

authigenic: Minerals formed in situ within the peat matrix, in contrast to detrital particles derived from external sources.

References

1. Mineral dust as a driver of carbon accumulation in northern latitudes. Scientific Reports (2018).
2. Atmospheric Deposition History of Trace Metals and Metalloids for the Last 200 Years Recorded by Three Peat Cores in Great Hinggan Mountain, Northeast China. Atmosphere (2015).
3. Authigenic and Detrital Minerals in Peat Environment of Vasyugan Swamp, Western Siberia †. Minerals (2018).
4. Anthropogenic- and natural sources of dust in peatland during the Anthropocene. Scientific Reports (2016).
5. Influence of transboundary transport of trace elements on mountain peat geochemistry (Sudetes, Central Europe). Quaternary Science Reviews (2020).