Use of stable lead isotopes to characterize the sources of anthropogenic lead in North Atlantic surface waters

Journal Article · Mon Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(94)90047-7· OSTI ID:6790474

Veron, A J ^[1]; Church, T M ^[2]; Patterson, C C ^[3]; Flegal, A R ^[4]

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1. Faculte St. Jerome, Marseille (France) Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)
2. Univ. of Delaware, Newark, DE (United States)
3. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States)
4. California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (United States) Univ. of California, Santa Cruz, CA (United States)

Stable lead isotopes are used to illustrate the impact of surface water circulation on dissolved lead distribution in North Atlantic surface waters during oligotrophic conditions. Using stable lead isotopic signatures from (1) the Sargasso Sea and (2) direct tropospheric deposition to the North Atlantic, the authors estimate that 10-40% of the lead accumulated in surface waters of the European Basin is transported from the western North Atlantic by the North Atlantic Current. South of 50[degrees]N, lead appears to be primarily distributed by the Subtropical North Atlantic Gyre that extends well beyond the western basins to 30[degrees]W in the North African Basin (at 30-40[degrees]N). There are different lead isotopic signatures between the subtropical gyre of the Guiana and western Guinea Basins, which suggests that the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone acts as an efficient barrier limiting chemical exchanges between the gyre and the equatorial currents.

• OSTI ID: 6790474
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States), Vol. 58:15; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
WATER CURRENTS
LEAD
POLLUTION SOURCES
LEAD 204
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
LEAD 206
LEAD 207
LEAD 208
ALPHA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CURRENTS
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
HEAVY NUCLEI
HOURS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
LEAD ISOTOPES
METALS
MILLISEC LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
RADIOISOTOPES
SEAS
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
STABLE ISOTOPES
SURFACE WATERS
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
540320* - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)
540311 - Environment
Aquatic- Basic Studies- Radiometric Techniques- (1990-)