Tracking historical lead pollution in the coastal area adjacent to the Yangtze River Estuary using lead isotopic compositions

Yunchao Hao, Zhigang Guo, Zuosheng Yang, Dejiang Fan, Ming Fang, Xiangdong Li

Research output: Journal article publicationJournal articleAcademic researchpeer-review

86 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The rapid economic development in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China in the last three decades has had a significant impact on the environment of the East China Sea (ECS). Lead isotopic compositions of a210Pb dated sediment core collected from the coastal ECS adjacent to the Yangtze River Estuary were analyzed to track the Pb pollution in the region. The baseline Pb concentration in the coastal ECS sediments before the industrialization in China was 32 μg g-1, and the corresponding206Pb/207Pb ratio was 1.195. The high-resolution profiles of Pb flux and206Pb/207Pb ratios had close relationships with the economic development and the history of the use of leaded gasoline in China, and they were clearly different from those of most European countries and United States.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1325-1331
Number of pages7
JournalEnvironmental Pollution
Volume156
Issue number3
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2008

Keywords

  • East China Sea
  • Lead pollution
  • Sediment core
  • Stable lead isotopes
  • Yangtze River Estuary

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Toxicology
  • Pollution
  • Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Tracking historical lead pollution in the coastal area adjacent to the Yangtze River Estuary using lead isotopic compositions'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this