Article
Environmental Sciences
Caitlyn Donadt, Colin A. Cooke, Jennifer A. Graydon, Mark S. Poesch
Summary: Bioaccumulation of mercury in freshwater fish is a complex process influenced by environmental and biological factors. While surface water mercury concentrations were high in the studied tributaries of the Red Deer River, patterns of fish THg concentrations varied by species. The study suggests that mercury poses a risk to piscivorous wildlife health in these streams, but bioaccumulation is not solely driven by environmental factors and commonly associated factors like body size and trophic level may not strongly influence mercury concentrations in these ecosystems.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Caitlyn Donadt, Colin A. Cooke, Jennifer A. Graydon, Mark S. Poesch
Summary: The study found that fish trace element concentrations in the Red Deer River are primarily influenced by biological factors rather than being restricted to areas with high surface water concentrations. Body size is positively correlated with trace element concentrations, and mercury biomagnifies while arsenic biodiminishes.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Kasia J. Staniszewska, Colin A. Cooke, Alberto Reyes
Summary: The study identified two distinct sources of meltwater - one with long subglacial residence time containing dissolved carbonate-associated elements, and another with short subglacial residence time containing potential legacy trace elements and moderate concentrations of legacy nutrients. Trace element fluxes and yields were modeled using grab sampling results paired with correlated high-frequency conductivity or turbidity measurements, showing that mercury yield was comparable to or lower than yields from other glacial meltwater streams globally. Long-term discharge data suggests that future contaminant yields will increase until peak water is reached, but at present, glacial meltwater does not significantly augment downstream nutrient and trace element contaminant budgets.
ACS EARTH AND SPACE CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Archaeology
Colleen O'Shea, Mark Fenn, Kathy Z. Gillis, Herant Khanjian, Michael Schilling
Summary: This article is the first comprehensive analysis of late Joseon dynasty lacquerware, revealing a mixture of traditional and new materials and techniques. Through the conservation and analysis of lacquerware objects from the Asian Art Museum, the study identifies the materials and techniques used in manufacture and presents a new restoration technique. The findings demonstrate the material and technological complexity of Korean lacquerware from this period and provide guidance for the conservation and analysis of similar objects.
STUDIES IN CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Kirsten K. Smythe, Colin A. Cooke, Paul E. Drevnick, Robert J. Cornett, Jules M. Blais
Summary: The study found that alkylated polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in sediments from Cold Lake were elevated and increased with the onset of bitumen extraction in the area. The PAC sources to lake sediments were dominantly pyrogenic, likely from historic forest fires, but shifted to more petrogenic sources with expanding oil sands extraction at Cold Lake.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Colin A. Cooke, Jason H. Curtis, William F. Kenney, Paul Drevnick, Peter E. Siegel
Summary: Lead and mercury emissions and deposition have long histories extending into preindustrial times, but the timing, magnitude, and persistence of preindustrial emissions remain unclear. This study uses a well-dated sediment core from Lake Antoine, Grenada to assess the past 3000 years of tropical lead and mercury deposition. The results show that preindustrial increases in lead and mercury concentrations can be explained by variations in mineral and organic matter inputs from the watershed, reflecting climate-driven changes in the lake level. There is no evidence that preindustrial use of lead and mercury raised deposition rates in this remote ecosystem. Industrial-era accumulation rates in Lake Antoine have been accelerated by land use and land cover change within the crater rim, but global industrial pollution is still evident. After correcting for watershed inputs, recent atmospheric deposition rates of lead and mercury are in close agreement with monitoring data, challenging previous assessments that suggested preindustrial use of mercury raised atmospheric deposition rates globally.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Kasia J. Staniszewska, Alberto Reyes, Colin A. Cooke, Brooklyn S. Miller, Robin J. Woywitka
Summary: The impact of permafrost thaw on the fluxes of mercury, methylmercury, and lead in arctic watersheds is still unclear. Through studying the Old Crow River in arctic Canada, it was found that these trace elements were mainly associated with suspended sediment and mobilized during periods of high discharge. However, the widespread presence of thermokarst and thermokarst lakes in the watershed did not result in anomalous concentrations, fluxes, and yields of these trace metals.
Article
Ecology
Craig A. Emmerton, Paul E. Drevnick, Jessica A. Serbu, Colin A. Cooke, Jennifer A. Graydon, Megan Reichert, Marlene S. Evans, Mark E. McMaster
Summary: This study investigates the concentrations and yields of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) in small tributaries and major transboundary rivers, and associates these patterns with THg concentrations in fish tissues. The results show that landscape conditions influence the changes of Hg in rivers and the concentrations of Hg in fish tissues. Site-specific monitoring of THg and MeHg concentrations in water and fish is crucial for assessing regional-level patterns in fish tissue concentrations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Byron A. Steinman, Nathan D. Stansell, Michael E. Mann, Colin A. Cooke, Mark B. Abbott, Mathias Vuille, Broxton W. Bird, Matthew S. Lachniet, Alejandro Fernandez
Summary: Uncertainty about the influence of anthropogenic radiative forcing on the position and strength of convective rainfall in the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) inhibits our ability to project future tropical hydroclimate change in a warmer world. Paleoclimatic and modeling data inform on the timescales and mechanisms of ITCZ variability, yet a comprehensive, long-term perspective remains elusive. The study quantifies the evolution of neotropical hydroclimate over the past millennium and shows an interhemispheric pattern of precipitation antiphasing occurred on multicentury timescales in response to changes in natural radiative forcing. This reinforces the idea that ITCZ responses to external forcing are region specific, complicating projections of the tropical precipitation response to global warming.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Colin A. Cooke, Craig A. Emmerton, Yi Yi, Lucie Levesque, Nancy Glozier
Summary: The mining activities and wildfires in northeastern Alberta, Canada have increased the pollution of polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in freshwater ecosystems. Through studying PACs in river water before and after the Fort McMurray wildfire, it was found that petrogenic PACs were the main source, while pyrogenic PACs mainly came from the wash-in of ash during short-term episodes of burned watersheds. This research provides new insights into the impacts of increasing wildfire frequency and severity in this industrialized region.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Colin A. Cooke, Paul E. Drevnick
Summary: Mountaintop removal coal mining has negative impacts on downstream ecosystems by delivering nutrients, ions, and heavy metals. This study shows that it also affects ecosystems downwind and releases polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs).
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2022)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Mitchell L. Kay, Izabela Jasiak, Wynona H. Klemt, Johan A. Wiklund, Jelle A. Faber, Lauren A. MacDonald, James V. K. Telford, Cory A. M. Savage, Colin A. Cooke, Brent B. Wolfe, Roland I. Hall
Summary: Large-scale mining activities in northwestern Canada have led to enrichment of hazardous metals and metalloids. Studying sediment metal concentrations in lakes can provide valuable information for evaluating the risk of contaminant dispersal and should be included in environmental monitoring programs.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Jordan A. A. Dalton, Colleen O'Shea, Juliana Gomez Mejia, Noemi Oncebay Pizarro
Summary: This article explores the significance of a large communal ossuary found at the site of Las Huacas in the Chincha Valley through analyzing the context, material culture, and human remains. The feature demonstrates how local Chincha material culture and mortuary practices persisted and changed after Inca expansion.