The environmental consequences of rapid urbanization in central Florida reconstructed with high resolution 241Am and 210Pb dating in lake sediments

Throughout the 20th century, Florida was one of the fastest growing states in the US, putting unique environmental stress on the region. Accurately dated lake sediments can provide invaluable records of environmental change that extend beyond monitoring records. Here, we analyze profiles of americium-241 (²⁴¹Am), cesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and uranium-series radionuclides in Lake Bonny in Lakeland, Florida. The ²⁴¹Am peak is sharp in the sediment profile, while the ¹³⁷Cs peak is broader and spread evenly across two layers. The measured ¹³⁷Cs inventory of ∼413 Bq/m² is less than half of the expected inventory from atmospheric deposition (accounting for decay since deposition), indicating significant losses. The reliability of ¹³⁷Cs as a chronological tool can be complicated in environments with low quantities of 2:1 clays and low available potassium (K), characteristic of Florida and the U.S. southeast. Using a piecewise constant rate of supply ²¹⁰Pb model verified by ²⁴¹Am, we reconstruct sedimentation and chemical change in this lake. Highest sedimentation rates in the lake occur during decades of peak population growth in the mid-20th century. Uranium (U) and radium-226 (²²⁶Ra) inputs to the lake reach a maximum in the 1960s, consistent with expansion of local phosphate mines and elevated groundwater pumping during that time in response to drought conditions. Total Pb in the sedimentary record captures the rise and fall of the use of leaded gasoline, but Zn inputs to the lake remain nearly two orders of magnitude above background levels in the last decade. Our high-resolution chronology of the lake reveals regional impacts on water and lake quality in central Florida during a period of rapid population growth.