Anthropogenic lead pervasive in Canadian Arctic seawater.

ABSTRACT: Anthropogenic Pb is widespread in the environment including remote places. However, its presence in Canadian Arctic seawater is thought to be negligible based on low dissolved Pb (dPb) concentrations and proxy data. Here, we measured dPb isotopes in Arctic seawater with very low dPb concentrations (average ∼5 pmol ⋅ kg^-1) and show that anthropogenic Pb is pervasive and often dominant in the western Arctic Ocean. Pb isotopes further reveal that historic aerosol Pb from Europe and Russia (Eurasia) deposited to the Arctic during the 20th century, and subsequently remobilized, is a significant source of dPb, particularly in water layers with relatively higher dPb concentrations (up to 16 pmol ⋅ kg^-1). The 20th century Eurasian Pb is present predominantly in the upper 1,00

SUBMITTER: De Vera J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8214688 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature