Chronology of platinum accumulation in an urban lake

Concern has recently emerged over the release of platinum from automobile catalysts and increasing environmental concentrations. The history of platinum deposition is followed through the natural incorporation of pollutants into the sediment record of the Upper Mystic Lake. Platinum was determined by ICP-MS in dated sediments. Platinum concentration remained relatively constant until the mid-1970s when Pt-containing catalysts were introduced in the US. After the introduction of catalysts, platinum concentration increased significantly, with an average deposition rate of 5.4 μg m^-2 year^-1 after 1990.