The Alps in the age of the Anthropocene: the impact of human activities on the cryosphere recorded in the Colle Gnifetti glacier

The evaluation of the impact of anthropogenic activities on mountain areas is an important task, because they represent the last remaining natural and pristine environments in highly industrialized continental regions. The deposition of ubiquitous, persistent and toxic organic pollutants in high-altitude sites can potentially affect the alpine ecosystem, which is often characterized by unique plant and animal communities which are precious in terms of ecological value as well as being fragile and easily spoiled. Records from Alpine ice cores have demonstrated to be among the best tools in paleoenvironmental studies to reconstruct past emissions of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. From the comparison of trace species records in the snow and ice with the emission inventories compiled in recent years it is also possible to reconstruct the past trends in the emission of these compounds. This knowledge enables a better environmental management and a more effective planning of the human activities in the light of a new sustainable development and could represent the base of a wide and motivated participation to the creation of the future generations. Here, we summarize the results of the geochemical analysis of the Colle Gnifetti firn/ice core, in the Monte Rosa group (NW European Alps).