Abstract
Lead isotope ratios and concentrations have been measured in seawater and marine sediment by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). For seawater, solvent extraction pre-concentration and the use of a micro-concentric nebulizer allowed 1 ml of concentrate to be measured for several minutes to achieve precisions in the range 0.5-1.2% relative standard deviation for 208Pb/ 206Pb and 207Pb/ 206Pb. The environmental dispersion of trace amounts of anthropogenic Pb produced distinctive Pb isotope ratio changes in seawater and marine sediments in the immediate vicinity of a PbZn concentrate shipping facility. Concentrate was found to have 208Pb/ 206Pb ratios in the range 2.21-2.25, whereas environmental background 208Pb/ 206Pb ratios were: filtered (< 0.45 μm) seawater, 2.13-2.15; unfiltered seawater, 2.06-2.10; sediment, 2.06-2.09. The combined Pb isotope ratio and concentration measurements by ICP-MS have provided a sensitive and cost effective monitoring tool allowing an unambiguous assessment of the source of Pb.
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