Lead contamination and transfer in urban environmental compartments analyzed by lead levels and isotopic compositions

Environ Pollut. 2014 Apr:187:42-8. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2013.12.025. Epub 2014 Jan 16.

Abstract

Lead levels and isotopic compositions in atmospheric particles (TSP and PM2.5), street dust and surface soil collected from Nanjing, a mega city in China, were analyzed to investigate the contamination and the transfer of lead in urban environmental compartments. The lead contents in TSP and PM2.5 are significantly higher than them in the surface soil and street dust (p < 0.05). The enrichment factor using the mass ratio of lead to the major crustal elements (Al, Sr, Ti and Fe) indicates significant lead enrichment in atmospheric particles. The plots of (206)Pb/(207)Pb vs.(208)Pb/(206)Pb and (206)Pb/(207)Pb vs. 1/Pb imply that the street dust and atmospheric particles (TSP and PM2.5) have very similar lead sources. Coal emissions and smelting activities may be the important lead sources for street dust and atmospheric particles (TSP and PM2.5), while the deposition of airborne lead is an important lead source for urban surface soil.

Keywords: Atmospheric particles; Lead; Source identification; Street dust; Surface soil.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Cities / statistics & numerical data*
  • Coal
  • Dust / analysis
  • Environmental Monitoring*
  • Environmental Pollutants / analysis*
  • Lead / analysis*
  • Soil / chemistry
  • Soil Pollutants / analysis

Substances

  • Coal
  • Dust
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Soil
  • Soil Pollutants
  • Lead