Reconstruction of historical atmospheric Pb using Dutch urban lake sediments: A Pb isotope study

Lake sediments provide a record of atmospheric Pb deposition and changes in Pb isotope composition. To our
knowledge, such an approach has not previously been performed in The Netherlands or linked to national air
monitoring data. Results are presented for Pb content and isotope composition of 137Cs dated lake sediments
from 2 Dutch urban lakes. Between 1942 and 2002 A.D. anthropogenic atmospheric Pb deposition rates in the
two lakes varied from 12 ± 2 to 69 ± 16 μg cm−2 year−1
. The rise and fall of leaded gasoline is clearly reflected
in the reconstructed atmospheric Pb deposition rates. After the ban on leaded gasoline, late 1970s/early 1980s,
atmospheric Pb deposition rates decreased rapidly in the two urban lakes and the relative contributions of
other anthropogenic Pb sources — incinerator ash (industrial Pb) and coal/galena — increased sharply. Atmospheric
Pb deposition rates inferred from the lake record a clear relationship with nearby measured annual
mean air Pb concentrations. Based on this relationship it was estimated that air Pb concentrations between
1942 and 2002 A.D. varied between 5 and 293 ng/m3
.