Concentration of trace elements and their sources in a snow pit from Yuzhu Peak, north-east Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

In order to understand the potential influence of pollution from human activity on the natural cycle of trace elements in the atmosphere over the eastern Kunlun mountains, north-eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, concentrations of Al, Fe, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Li, Ni, Zn, Pb, Sb, Sr, U and V in a 75 cm-deep snow pit recovered from 5,800 m a.s.l. of the Yuzhu Peak Glacier on October 25, 2009, were determined by a sector field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The results indicate that concentrations of the measured trace elements vary by orders of magnitude from one element to another ranging from the minimum value 1.2 pg/g (U) to the maximum value 293 ng/g (Fe); the value of Max/Min ranges from 7 pg/g (Sd) to 358 pg/g (Li). EFc values of measured trace elements show that there are other important sources except dust for Cd, Sb, Zn, Pb and Cu. Comparison of the concentrations of the measured trace elements with those in other areas in the Tibetan Plateau indicates that trace element concentrations for Yuzhu Peak are lower than those in east Tianshan and Muztagh Ata (Pamirs). Concentrations of some trace elements are also lower than those in East Rongbuk Glacier. However, concentrations of all measured trace elements are extensively higher than those in Greenland and the Antarctic.