Atmospheric Heavy Metal Input to Forest Soils in Rural Areas of Denmark

Atmospheric bulk deposition of heavy metals (HM) was measured from 1972/73 to the present time at five to ten forest sites in rural areas of Denmark. From 1979, HM in aerosols were measured at one to four forest sites. On the basis of these long-term continuous measurements, the atmospheric inputs to the forest floor have been calculated. Yearly HM emission estimates to the European atmosphere seems to correlate well with yearly average values of HM deposition, as well as with HM concentrations in the ambient atmosphere. HM emissions have been estimated since the 1950s. Using the correlation between emission and deposition, HM deposition values maybe extrapolated in reverse chronological order. The accumulated atmospheric HM deposition has been estimated in this way over a period of 50 years.