Relative levels of natural and anthropogenic lead in recent Antarctic snow

Journal Article · Mon Jul 20 00:00:00 EDT 1987 · J. Geophys. Res.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1029/JD092iD07p08454· OSTI ID:6159487

Boutron, C F; Patterson, C C

Concentrations of lead have been measured by ultraclean isotope dilution mass spectrometry in large blocks of surface snow collected along a 433-km coast-interior axis in East Antarctica and near the geographic south pole. Slight contamination existed on the outside of the blocks, but concentration profiles from their exteriors to their interiors indicate that lead concentrations in the innermost parts of the blocks do represent the original concentrations in present-day Antarctic snow. Geographical variations of lead concentrations appear to be mainly due to local emissions from Dumont d'Urville and Amundsen Scott stations. The globally signifcant lead concentration in present-day Antarctic snow is found to be about 2 pg Pb/g. The corresponding value in Antarctic air is estimated to be about 7 pg Pb/mT STP, which is approximately fivefold larger than total natural lead contributed by soil dusts, volcanoes and sea salts. A tentative temporal curve of globally significant lead concentrations in Antarctic ice and snow for the last 13,000 years is given. It shows concentrations of about 0.4 pg Pb/g throughout most of the Holocene, with recent fivefold increases to about 2 pg Pb/g today. The general picture is then that four-fifths of total lead in the Antarctic troposphere today is anthropogenic. copyright American Geophysical Union 1987

• Research Organization: Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
• OSTI ID: 6159487
• Journal Information: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Geophys. Res.; (United States) Vol. 92:D7; ISSN JGREA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200* -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
AIR
AIR POLLUTION MONITORING
ANTARCTIC REGIONS
ANTARCTICA
ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS
CENOZOIC ERA
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASES
GEOLOGIC AGES
LEAD
METALS
POLAR REGIONS
QUATERNARY PERIOD
SNOW
SURFACE AIR
VARIATIONS