Atmospheric Lead Concentrations Research Articles

Evaluation of long-term trend of atmospheric lead pollution in western Japan based on lead isotope ratios and Pb/Zn ratio as indicators of long-range transport of aerosols from the Asian continent

In this study, we evaluated the long-term trend of atmospheric lead pollution in western Japan based on lead isotope ratios and Pb/Zn ratio as indicators of long-range transport of aerosols from the Asian continent. First, recent seasonal changes (May 2013–April 2015) in atmospheric lead concentration, lead isotope ratios, and Pb/Zn ratio were investigated in Hirado City on the Asian continent side of Japan. Each parameter increased during winter and decreased during summer. The increase during winter was due to the enhanced long-range transport of lead from the Asian continent based on the back-trajectory analysis and lead isotope ratios of aerosols in major cities of China. Then, the long-term trends (approximately after 1990) of lead concentration, lead isotope ratios, and Pb/Zn ratio during winter in several sites in western Japan were evaluated using the data from this study and literature. The lead concentration and Pb/Zn ratio tended to decrease over the years, whereas the lead isotope ratios in 2013–2015 were lower than the ratios before 2001. These long-term trends were attributable to the long-term changes in atmospheric emissions and sources of lead in China. Moreover, it is likely that the rapid increase in zinc emissions in China also contributed to the decreasing trend of Pb/Zn ratio over the years. This study confirmed that atmospheric lead pollution in western Japan has improved over the years owing to the decrease in the amounts of lead transported from the Asian continent.

Dispersion Effects of Particulate Lead (Pb) from the Stack of a Lead Battery Recycling Plant

The contribution of emissions from the stack of a lead battery recycling plant to atmospheric lead concentrations and, eventually, to the topsoil of the surrounding area, were studied. A Gaussian dispersion model, of the American Meteorological Society/United States Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Model, (AERMOD) was used to determine atmospheric total suspended particulate lead dispersion, which originated from stack emissions, over the wider study area. Stack emission parameters were obtained from online measurements of the industry control sensors. AERMOD simulated two scenarios for four calendar years, 2015 to 2018, one for the typical stack measured operating conditions and one for the legal limit operating conditions (emissions from the stack set by legislation to 0.5 mg m−3). Deposition fluxes modeled the input of atmospheric total suspended particulate Pb to the topsoil of the area. X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses were used to determine lead concentrations in the topsoil. The modeling results were compared with topsoil of six inhabited locations downwind from the stack in the direction of the prevailing winds to estimate the influence of lead deposition on topsoil near the industrial area.

Changes of Atmospheric and Blood Concentrations of Lead and Cadmium in the General Population of South Korea from 2008 to 2017.

We measured changes in atmospheric and blood levels of lead and cadmium in the South Korean general population during the past decade. Blood data of 16,873 adults were taken from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES, 2008–2017). Atmospheric data were taken from 66 air quality monitoring sites in 16 different regions in South Korea. From 2008 to 2017, the geometric mean (GM) blood lead level decreased from 2.37 to 1.46 μg/dL (38.4% decrease), and the atmospheric lead concentration decreased by 61.0% in the overall population. During this time, the GM blood cadmium level decreased from 0.88 to 0.72 μg/L (18.2% decrease), and the atmospheric cadmium concentration decreased by 63.6%. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that a half reduction in air lead was associated with a 0.09 μg/dL decrease in blood lead (95% CI: 0.03 to 0.15) in a subgroup of the metropolitan city population. However, a half reduction in air cadmium had no significant effect on blood cadmium. Multiple linear regression analyses indicated that the decrease in blood lead level over 10 years in Korea was related to the decrease in atmospheric lead concentration. However, the decrease in blood cadmium level during this time was not significantly associated with the decrease in atmospheric cadmium concentration. Our findings suggest that inhalation is a major source of lead exposure, but not of cadmium exposure. Ingestion of dietary cadmium presumably has a stronger impact on blood cadmium levels.

Longitudinal trends of blood lead levels before and after leaded gasoline regulation in Korea.

The objective of this study was to verify a change in the longitudinal trend of blood lead levels for the Korean population, before and after the regulation of leaded gasoline— which occurred between 1987 and 1993 in Korea. A total of 77 reports on blood lead levels among general Korean population between 1981 and 2014 were selected, and the results were summarized to have the variables of year, number of subjects, the subjects’ range in age, gender, and blood lead concentrations (arithmetic mean). The annual average atmospheric lead levels for four major cities (i.e., Seoul, Busan, Daegu and Gwangju) were collected from the Air Pollution Monitoring Database from 1991, and pilot studies from 1985 to 1990 before the national air quality monitoring system was launched in 1991. Blood lead levels were visualized in a bubble plot in which the size of each bubble represented the sample size of each study, and the annual average concentrations in ambient air were depicted on line graphs. Blood lead levels in the Korean population tended to gradually increase from the early 1980s (approximately 15-20 μg/dL) until 1990-1992 (20-25 μg/dL). Blood lead levels then began to rapidly decrease until 2014 (<2 μg/dL). Similar patterns were observed for both adults (≥20 years) and younger children/adolescents. The same longitudinal trend was observed in annual average atmospheric lead concentration, which suggests a significant correlation between air lead concentration and blood lead concentration in the general population. In conclusion, the regulation of leaded gasoline has significantly contributed to the rapid change in blood lead concentrations. And, the regulation of other sources of lead exposure should be considered to further decrease blood lead levels in the Korean population.

An isotopic study of atmospheric lead in a megacity after phasing out of leaded gasoline

Atmospheric lead (Pb) concentrations in São Paulo city, Brazil, remain significant, despite the fact that leaded gasoline was phased out. The use of its isotope signature allows tracing emissions to the increasing number of cars, urban construction, and industrial emissions in this densely populated area. High-precision and accurate stable isotope ratio determinations using isotope dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS) combined with particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) and multivariate analysis were used to identify the main sources of lead present in São Paulo atmospheric particulates. Throughout a period of sixty days, aerosol samples were collected every 12 h during the summer of 2005 at the University of São Paulo (USP) and simultaneously during one week in an industrial area (Cubatão) and in two more remote areas (São Lourenço da Serra and Juquitiba). The data suggests that aerosols from São Paulo are mainly derived from vehicular exhaust (mostly gasoline) and traffic dust resuspension, with the admixture of industrial emissions, including cement. Lead isotopic compositions (expressed as 206Pb/207Pb ratios) measured in São Paulo aerosols range from 1.1491 to 1.2527 and are similar to those determined from tunnel dust, fuels, and vehicular exhaust; therefore, those are likely to be the main lead sources in the atmosphere of São Paulo. Vehicular traffic (fuel combustion, dust from vehicular components, and road dust) remains an important source of lead in the atmosphere. The maximum concentration occurring during the summer was 0.055 μg m−3 in fine particles, which is detrimental for human health and may lead to exceedances of the Air Quality Standard for lead of 0.15 μg m−3 (3-month average) during other seasons when the dispersion of pollutants is less favourable.

Particulate matter source apportionment in Cairo: recent measurements and comparison with previous studies

This paper presents results of an atmospheric particulate matter (PM) monitoring and source apportionment study conducted during summer and fall 2010 in Cairo. These results are compared to those of similar studies in 1999 and 2002. Concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 mass and their chemical constituents were determined and chemical mass balance modeling was conducted to estimate the source contributions to ambient PM. Emphasis was placed on characterizing the long-term trends in atmospheric lead (Pb) concentrations and their sources in Cairo. PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations were highest during fall 1999 at four of the five study sites. This was also the case for open (vegetative/trash) burning contributions, which showed a smaller increase during fall 2010. Burning of agricultural waste after the fall harvest continues to be a major source of PM in Cairo. Both PM2.5 and PM10 mass decreased dramatically at Shobra, an industrial site, from 1999 to 2010. A reduction of lead smelting has resulted in a decrease of ambient Pb concentrations of up to two orders of magnitude from 1999 to 2010 at Shobra, El-Zamalek, and El-Qualaly. From 1999 to 2010, the mobile source contribution has been relatively stable at most of the study sites. Future efforts to reduce ambient PM should focus on controlling emissions from motor vehicles and open burning and implementing mitigation strategies for reducing resuspended road and construction dust.

Estudio de la evolución de la exposición a plomo en la población infantil española en los últimos 20 años. ¿Un ejemplo no reconocido de «salud en todas las políticas»?

ObjectiveTo describe the time trend in atmospheric lead concentrations in Spain, from before lead was banned as a gasoline additive to the present, and to determine the trend in lead body burden in the Spanish child population. MethodsWe obtained the annual average for atmospheric lead levels in several Spanish cities from the 1980s to the present. A literature search was conducted to identify published studies on lead concentrations in populations of Spanish children. ResultsOverall, atmospheric lead levels decreased, particularly between 1991 and 1999. This downward trend was related to a decrease in lead concentrations in Spanish children from 1989, the year in which the first study of childhood lead exposure was published, until the present. The decreased concentrations in both air and in children was most probably a result of legislative measures regulating the maximum amount of lead in gasoline in 1987 until a complete ban in August 2001. ConclusionsFrom a public health point of view, the banning of leaded gasoline has significantly increased health protection in the Spanish population.

Atmospheric Lead in PM2.5 after Leaded Gasoline Phase‐out in Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia

AbstractThe objective of the present study is the assessment of Jeddah ambient air quality in terms of PM2.5, and the associated lead 7 years after phasing out leaded gasoline in Saudi Arabia. Twenty‐four air samples were collected at four locations throughout Jeddah during the period from December 23, 2008 to April 6, 2009. The collected PM2.5‐samples were analyzed by ICP‐MS for determination of lead. The average atmospheric PM2.5 concentration was 50.8 µg/m3. Atmospheric PM2.5‐concentrations were higher than the 24‐h U.S. National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) in 14 sample events. The average lead concentration for all samples was 0.07326 µg/m3. Atmospheric lead concentration was dependent on the sampling location. Concentrations at the two southern locations were higher than at the two northern locations. Southern locations had higher lead concentrations due to very high traffic density, in addition to their proximity to industrial zone. In general, the results of this study show a considerable decrease in atmospheric lead concentration 7 years after phasing out leaded gasoline. The study recommends further studies to accurately determine the current sources of atmospheric lead.

Atmospheric lead concentrations near roadways in a suburban part of Istanbul

In this study, daily aerosol samples of fine (PM2.5) and coarse (PM2.5−10) particles were collected at Buyukcekmece (41°2′35″N, 28°35′25″E), a sub-urban part of Istanbul, Turkey. Sampling area is under the impact of two main transport arteries, namely the Trans European Motorway (TEM) and E5 motorways. Atmospheric lead levels measured in this study were compared with those reported previously from various locations in Turkey and other parts of the world. These values lie midway between those typical of remote and urban sites. The data were statistically evaluated to determine seasonal changes. Then, wind sector analysis was carried out. The analysis showed that the major proportion of the episodes, about 54%, was generated from the direction of TEM motorway, located to the north, while the second major lead source, with a contribution of 20%, was found to be the direction of E-5 motorway, located to the south.

Lead emissions from road transport in Europe: A revision of current estimates using various estimation methodologies

Large-scale use of leaded gasoline was an important source of the neurotoxin lead in the European environment. After a sequence of regulations on the allowed gasoline lead content and, eventually, a ban on the use of lead additives in gasoline, road transport was no longer considered a source of atmospheric lead. Currently a discrepancy exists between measured atmospheric lead concentrations and model-predicted concentrations, suggesting that lead emissions to the atmosphere may be underestimated. Recently it was suggested that lead emission from unleaded gasoline combustion is still an important source and may (partly) fill the gap between modelled and observed atmospheric lead concentrations. In this paper we assess the plausibility of the latter suggestion by following various emission estimation methodologies. The uncertainty of lead emissions from road transport is further reduced by chemical analysis of fuel samples. The result of our assessment is that lead from road transport fuel combustion is not the missing lead source needed to fill the gap between modelled and observed lead concentrations. Road transport is still a source of lead through brake wear and a small contribution from exhaust emissions but this contributes no more than 5–8% of the EU25 total emission.

Lead concentrations in feathers and blood of common blackbirds (Turdus merula) and in earthworms inhabiting unpolluted and moderately polluted urban areas

Despite the dramatic decrease of atmospheric lead (Pb) concentrations in urban areas of most industrialised countries, we hypothesised that urban common blackbirds (Turdus merula) may still be contaminated by Pb concentrations of toxicological concern due to transfer from soil through the food chain. We sampled blackbirds and earthworms, one of their main preys, in Besançon, a middle-size city of Eastern France (where atmospheric Pb concentrations decreased from 0.5 microg/m(3) in 1987 to nearly 0 in 2002) and in a rural reference site. Lead concentrations were determined in the tissues of the different functional groups of earthworms (anecic, epigeous and endogeous) and in blood, washed and unwashed outermost tail feathers and breast feathers of blackbirds. Fresh masses and an index of individual body condition were measured in the two blackbird populations as biomarkers of possible toxic effects. Lead concentrations in earthworms did not differ among functional groups but were significantly higher in urban individuals than in rural ones. Concentrations in outermost tail feathers, breast feathers and blood were significantly higher in urban blackbirds (7.75+/-4.50, 3.15+/-1.77 and 0.15+/-0.09 microg/g, respectively) than in rural individuals. In urban blackbirds, concentrations in washed and unwashed outermost tail feathers allowed estimating the external contamination (probably due to deposition of dusts and/or to excretion of the uropygial gland) at 37% of the total Pb concentration of the unwashed feathers. Remaining 63% should be linked to food chain transfer of persistent Pb from urban soils. Among the 23 sampled blackbirds, 4 of them (3 in the urban site and 1 in the rural site) exhibited blood Pb concentrations higher than the benchmark value (0.20 microg/g) related to subclinical and physiological effects in birds. Variations in body condition index were not correlated to Pb concentrations in blackbird tissues. Present results suggest that Pb may still be of environmental concern for blackbirds in urban areas because of the persistence of Pb in soils and its transfer through the food chain.

Impacts of traffic-induced lead emissions on air, soil and blood lead levels in Beirut.

Lead is a purely toxic heavy metal which induces a wide variety of adverse physiologic effects. Nevertheless, it has been mined and used for more than 8,000 years. Among the different contemporary sources of lead pollution, traffic-induced emissions from the combustion of leaded gasoline is of particular concern, as it can constitute more than 90 percent of total lead emissions into the atmosphere in congested urban areas where no phase-out activities have been adopted. Gasoline lead content and traffic volume are strongly correlated with concentrations of lead in various environmental media. In the absence of policies to reduce the use of lead in gasoline or to favor the use of unleaded gasoline, leaded gasoline remains the predominant grade in many countries. This paper assesses the status of lead pollution from the combustion of leaded gasoline in Beirut based on field measurements of lead in air and roadside dust of urban and rural/suburban areas and recent data on soil and blood lead levels. Average atmospheric lead concentrations was about 1.86 microg m(-3) at urban locations and 0.147 microg m(-3) at suburban locations. The analysis of roadside dust revealed an average lead level of 353 microg g(-1) along urban streets and 125 microg g(-1) along rural/suburban roads. Blood lead levels were also relatively high in comparison to countries where leaded gasoline has been phased-out.

Atmospheric lead concentration distribution in Northern Taiwan

Atmospheric lead concentrations were measured randomly, approximately once per week, at five traffic sites in northern Taiwan from September 1994 to May 1995. Three types of theoretical distributions, lognormal, Weibull and gamma were selected to fit the frequency distribution of the measured lead concentration. Four goodness-of-fit criteria were used to judge which theoretical distribution is the most appropriate to represent the frequency distributions of atmospheric lead. The results show that atmospheric lead concentrations in total suspended particulates fit the lognormal distribution reasonably well in northern Taiwan. The intervals of fitted theoretical cumulative frequency distributions (CFDs) can successfully contain the measured data when the population mean is estimated with a 95% confidence interval. In addition, atmospheric lead concentration exceeding a critical concentration is also predicted from the fitted theoretical CFDs.

Lead isotope tracking of atmospheric response to post-industrial conditions in Yerevan, Armenia

Temporal gradients in environmental lead concentrations and isotopic compositions trace the rapidly shifting transition from high to low industrial emissions in Yerevan, Armenia following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s. Shortly after the breakup, in 1995 and 1996, atmospheric lead concentrations averaged ∼0.4 μg m −3 and the combustion of leaded gasoline was the primary source of industrial lead emissions in Yerevan. But by 1998, unleaded gasoline was predominant and atmospheric lead concentrations had decreased by two orders of magnitude to ⩽0.003 μg m −3 because industrial lead emissions from stationary sources had also been radically curtailed. The increased proportion of unleaded gasoline use is clearly seen in comparisons of the isotopic compositions of lead in air and gasoline. In 1998 and 1999, the isotopic composition of atmospheric lead (1.1605⩽ 206Pb/ 207Pb⩽1.1641) was comparable to that in soil (1.1357⩽ 206Pb/ 207Pb⩽1.1649); and it was markedly different from the average isotopic value of gasoline ( 206Pb/ 207Pb=1.1407 in 1998 and 1.1555 in 1999). Binary mixing calculations suggest that 75% of the atmospheric lead in 1998 was derived from re-suspended soil that retains lead from past emissions and 25% was derived from a mixture of present industrial emissions and uncontaminated soil. Anthropogenic lead persists in urban air, albeit at relatively low levels, despite leaded gasoline phase out and stationary emissions curtailment.

Behaviour of airborne lead and temporal variations of its source effects in Geneva (Switzerland): comparison of anthropogenic versus natural processes

Lead isotope compositions of aerosols from two Geneva stations (city and country), monitored during one year, show the existence of two main lead sources, petrol and waste incineration. A third, subordinate source is represented by coal burning and is detectable in winter. This source is believed to be of local importance due to the very low coal consumption in Geneva. Lead contributions from the three sources have been apportioned using isotopic mixing equations. During summer, petrol contributes about 70% of the total lead in the city while the incinerator contributes 65% of the total lead in the country. During winter, coal burning provides in average 15% of the total lead in the city. Atmospheric lead concentrations are mainly controlled by wind speed. As expected, wind dilution is more effective on lead aerosols originating from sources situated farthest from the monitoring stations. Thus, incinerator lead contributions at the city station decrease linearly with wind speed in winter due to their transport from a longer distance than automotive emissions. Due to the same process, during summer petrol contributions are anticorrelated with wind speed at the country. Incinerator winter contributions in the city display greater variations than in summer, suggesting a seasonal meteorological regime which enhances the wind speed control on incinerator aerosol dilution. We relate this meteorological regime to the lower mixing height typical of the cold season. Isotope-based apportionments of lead sources and their statistical comparison with particulate matter and sulfur dioxide concentrations have also allowed a qualitative assessment of the impact of traffic and coal emissions on PM and SO 2 levels at the two monitored sites.

Researchers point to incinerator emissions as a major source of atmospheric lead concentrations

Researchers point to incinerator emissions as a major source of atmospheric lead concentrations

Twentieth Century Atmospheric Metal Fluxes into Central Park Lake, New York City

It is generally assumed that declining atmospheric lead concentrations in urban centers during the 1970s and 1980s were due almost entirely to the progressive introduction of unleaded gasoline. However, most environmental data are from monitoring programs that began only two to three decades ago, which limits their usefulness. Here, trace metal and radionuclide data from sediment cores in Central Park Lake provide a record of atmospheric pollutant deposition in New York City through the 20th century, which suggests that leaded gasoline combustion was not the dominant source of atmospheric lead for NYC. Lead deposition rates, normalized to known Pb-210 atmospheric influxes, were extremely high, reaching maximum values (>70 μg cm(-2) yr(-1)) from the late 1930s to early 1960s, decades before maximum emissions from combustion of leaded gasoline. Temporal trends of lead, zinc, and tin deposition derived from the lake sediments closely resemble the history of solid waste incineration in New York City. Furthermore, widespread use of solid waste incinerators in the United States and Europe over the last century suggests that solid waste incineration may have provided the dominant source of atmospheric lead and several other metals to many urban centers.

Lead Sampling in a Bullet Recovery Room

Abstract This study implemented standard sampling protocols to evaluate lead contamination present in the bullet recovery room of the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division's Firearms Department. Air sampling, skin wipes, and surface swabs were used to test for lead concentrations in the atmosphere, on the skin of personnel discharging weapons, and on walls and other surfaces present in the room, respectively. All samples were analyzed by standard National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health methods using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrophotometer. The atmospheric lead concentration, 0.0041 ± 0.000016 mg/m3, was well below the threshold limit value, but was higher than expected considering the presence of a dedicated exhaust system in the bullet recovery tank. Furthermore, high skin contamination levels were reported for personnel whose only exposure to the room was incidental contact with the walls. A survey of the room surfaces found mean lead concentrations to be 42.2 ± 0.42 m...

Atmospheric input of lead into the German Bight - a high resolution measurement and model case study

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 156:299-309 (1997) - doi:10.3354/meps156299 Atmospheric input of lead into the German Bight - a high resolution measurement and model case study K. Heinke Schlünzen1,*, Thomas Stahlschmidt2, Andreas Rebers2, Ulrike Niemeier1, Michael Kriews3, Walter Dannecker2 1Zentrum für Meeres- und Klimaforschung der Universität Hamburg, Meteorologisches Institut, Bundesstr. 55, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany 2Institut für Anorganische und Angewandte Chemie, Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany 3Alfred-Wegener-Institut für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Postfach 120161, D-27515 Bremerhaven, Germany *E-mail: schluenzen@dkrz.de The atmospheric input of lead into the German Bight is calculated from measured atmospheric concentrations, from modelled as well as measurement-derived deposition velocities, and from measured wet deposition values, with a temporal resolution between 6 and 24 h. The measurements were taken at several coastal sites and on a ship in the German Bight during a 1 wk drift experiment in April 1991. The applied model is a 3-dimensional nonhydrostatic atmospheric mesoscale model. The calculated input data depend on deposition velocities and integration time. Due to variation in dry deposition the atmospheric input values can differ by a factor of 3. Total deposition values and thus atmospheric input data can differ by a factor of 10. Calculated backward trajectories show that the observed time-lag in the occurrence of concentration maxima can be explained by the travel time of the advected air masses between the measurement sites. By use of backward trajectories and results of the mesoscale model the measured values are associated with source areas for a day with very high atmospheric lead concentrations. It is shown that up to 50% of the contaminants can reach the German Bight via long-range transport. Mesoscale atmospheric phenomena also influence the wind field and the concentrations. North Sea · German Bight · Atmospheric input · Dry deposition · Wet deposition · Atmospheric lead concentration · Mesoscale model Full text in pdf format PreviousExport citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 156. Publication date: September 25, 1997 Print ISSN:0171-8630; Online ISSN:1616-1599 Copyright © 1997 Inter-Research.

Atmospheric lead concentration distribution in traffic air monitoring stations in Northern Taiwan

Atmospheric lead concentration distribution in traffic air monitoring stations in Northern Taiwan