Abstract
Traditional Pb isotopic identification only based on total Pb concentration and Pb isotopic ratios, resulted in difficulty for tracing Pb sources in the complex environmental medium, especially for sediment. Herein, a novel approach combining with regional geochemical baseline (RGB) and Pb isotopic ratios are used to directly trace anthropogenic Pb sources and calculate Pb source appointments in sediment. In this study, total Pb concentrations and isotopic ratios were analyzed for a 7-m long sediment core (92 sediment samples) collected from a reservoir. RGB of Pb was used to calculate anthropogenic Pb concentrations (Rd), their contributions (CRd) and screen the sediments influenced by anthropogenic activities. Among those sediments influenced by anthropogenic activities, a positive correlation was found between 206Pb/207Pb ratios and Rd, indicating there were two anthropogenic Pb sources in sediment. Further source identification using 206Pb/207Pb and 208Pb/207Pb indicated that these two anthropogenic Pb sources originated from coal consumption and aerosol input. Finally, CRd and Pb isotopic ratios were used to calculate these two Pb source appointments (1.13% for coal consumption and 7.53% for aerosol input). This study demonstrated that source identification using RGB and Pb isotopes could be a novel attempt for identifying anthropogenic Pb sources in sediment.
Highlights
Trace metals in aquatic environments are a source of substantial concern due to their toxicity, persistence, and biological enrichment by the food chain [1,2]
Isotopic identification has been successfully applied for tracing Pb sources in different Isotopic identification has been tracing Pb in different environmental matrices
Pb (Rd ) was calculated by the regional geochemical baseline (RGB) model, and a relationship was established between Rd and Pb
Summary
Trace metals in aquatic environments are a source of substantial concern due to their toxicity, persistence, and biological enrichment by the food chain [1,2]. Sediments are a reservoir of trace metal contaminants. Over 90% of the metals in aquatic systems occur in the sediments or suspended particles [3,4]. Various physicochemical processes (e.g., precipitation, adsorption, and chelation) lead to the deposition of trace metals in sediments [5]. Sediment is the sink and source for trace metals in aquatic ecosystems. It is an important medium for understanding the geochemical characteristics and environmental behavior of trace metals
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