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Sources of Platinum Group Elements in the Environment

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Book cover Platinum Metals in the Environment

Part of the book series: Environmental Science and Engineering ((ENVSCIENCE))

Abstract

Platinum group elements (PGE, i.e. Pt, Pd, Rh, Ir, Ru, Os) are among the least abundant elements in the Earth’s continental crust. PGE concentrations in urban and roadside environments are, however, increasing as a result of anthropogenic emissions. Automobile catalysts are generally considered the main PGE source into the urban and roadside environments. We argue that most studies to date have been carried out with a presumption of potential sources, and this bias may have masked additional, yet unidentified PGE sources. Comparison of environmental records at urban locations suggests that PGE emissions reflect contributions from several sources, including automobile catalysts, industry and medical treatment centers. Coal combustion may also contribute to urban PGE fluxes. Environmental records at remote locations support contributions from such diverse sources. Estimates of PGE emissions, however uncertain, indicate that these diverse sources contribute significantly to the global PGE budget at the Earth’s surface.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Sebastien Rauch

  2. Department of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, 02543, USA

    Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink

Authors
  1. Sebastien Rauch
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  2. Bernhard Peucker-Ehrenbrink
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Correspondence to Sebastien Rauch .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Analytical Chemistry, Institute for Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

    Fathi Zereini

  2. School of the Environment, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

    Clare L.S. Wiseman

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Rauch, S., Peucker-Ehrenbrink, B. (2015). Sources of Platinum Group Elements in the Environment. In: Zereini, F., Wiseman, C. (eds) Platinum Metals in the Environment. Environmental Science and Engineering(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-44559-4_1

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