Heavy metal budgets for two headwater forested catchments in background areas of Finland

Mean annual (1994-1996) budgets for Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn at two background, forested catchments, VK and KJ, in Finland are presented. Budgets for plots (VK3, HJ1 and HJ4) included throughfall (TF), litterfall (LF) and soil leaching fluxes, and for catchments terrestrial retention and leaching and lake sedimentation fluxes. Total deposition (TD) loads were relatively low (Cd < 0.1, Cu < 2, Ni < 1, Pb < 3 and Zn < 5 mg m(-2) year(-1)) and that even in these areas almost half of the TD was in the form of dry deposition. Retention of TD within catchments was greater than or equal to 77% for all metals, except for Ni at VK (54%). For Cu and Pb, the retention was 94-97%. Most of the retention (74-97%) took place in the terrestrial part of the catchment, lake sedimentation accounting for the remainder. Plot-scale soil leaching fluxes at 40 cm of Cd, Cu (VK3) and Ni (VK3) were greater (greater than or equal to 100%) than TD inputs. Most of the catchment retention must therefore have taken place either deeper in the soil or in the lowland peatland areas. The humus layer was particularly effective in retaining Cu and Cd (65-81% and 51-78% of total inputs to the forest floor (TF+ LF)). The retention of ph by the humus layer was less than expected (26-54% of TF+ LF). Litterfall was a particularly important internal flux for Zn. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.