Trends in lead concentrations in major US rivers and their relation to historical changes in gasoline-lead consumption, by Richard B. Alexander and Richard A. Smith
- Univ. of California, Santa Cruz (United States)
- Moss Landing Marine Lab., CA (United States)
The sequential development of trace metal clean techniques has resulted in a systematic decrease in reported lead concentrations in the ocean. Similar decreases have been observed in reports of lead concentrations in fresh water. This was illustrated by the changes in reported baseline concentrations of lead in Lake Huron. However, even the latest (1980) of those concentrations (19 ng/L) appears to be erroneously high based on recent measurements of lead concentrations in the Great Lakes. Lead concentrations in surface waters in the center of Lake Ontario are < 2 ng/L or one order of magnitude lower than the reported baseline concentration of Lake Huron in 1980. Corresponding concentrations of lead in surface waters of Lake Huron should be equal to or less than those in Lake Ontario. Anthropogenic lead fluxes to Lake Huron (621 metric tons per year) and Lake Ontario (592 metric tons per year) are comparable, while the assimilative capacity of Lake Huron is two-fold greater than that of Lake Ontario. Moreover, the atmospheric flux of industrial lead aerosols to surface waters in Lake Huron is approximately one half of the flux in Lake Ontario. Therefore, if removal rates are similar in these two lakes, the authors expect the baseline concentration of lead in Lake Huron to be {le} 2 ng/L or one order of magnitude lower than the 1980 baseline concentration. Concentrations in remote fresh water systems in North America, where inputs of industrial lead aerosols are orders of magnitude lower should also be < 2 ng/L. The preceding measurements and projected concentrations of lead in fresh water systems in North America are of note in light of some recent reports on the decrease of lead in natural waters within the US. Those reports are questionable, in spite of other reports of decreasing lead concentrations in the Mississippi River and North Atlantic.
- OSTI ID:
- 6101650
- Journal Information:
- Water Resources Bulletin; (United States), Vol. 25:6; ISSN 0043-1370
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Sources of Mercury to East Fork Poplar Creek Downstream from the Y-12 National Security Complex: Inventories and Export Rates
Projected monthly temperature changes of the Great Lakes Basin
Related Subjects
LEAD
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SURFACE WATERS
WATER POLLUTION
FRESH WATER
HISTORICAL ASPECTS
LAKE HURON
LAKE ONTARIO
MISSISSIPPI RIVER
MONITORING
POLLUTION SOURCES
ELEMENTS
GREAT LAKES
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
LAKES
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
RIVERS
STREAMS
WATER
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)