Abstract
DURING the past hundred years about 1 × 1014 g of lead has been dispersed by man in the biosphere1, and the question arises as to whether this has increased the exposure of modern societies to chronic lead intoxication. The chief sources of lead in the atmosphere are the combustion of petrol and coal and the contributions from both these sources are now of the same order of magnitude although in the past the greater contribution was from coal2. In effect, the existing concentrations of lead in different components of the biosphere are now much higher than the natural concentrations which have been calculated3. To investigate the temporal variations in the lead content of the environment and in the human body I have collected samples of glacial ice representing the precipitations of the past hundred years, and also samples of human bones covering the period from the third to the twentieth centuries. In these samples lead was determined by dithizone colorimetry according to the method described earlier4.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chow, T. J., and Patterson, C. C., Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 26, 262 (1962).
Jaworowski, Z., Stable and Radioactive Lead in Environment and Human Body (Nuclear Energy Information Centre, Warsaw, 1967).
Patterson, C. C., Arch. Env. Health, 11, 344 (1965).
Jaworowski, Z., Nukleonika, 8, 333 (1963).
Jaworowski, Z., Nature, 212, 886 (1966).
Murozumi, M., Chow, T. J., and Patterson, C. C. NYO–3450–1, 213 (1960).
Putnam, P. C., Energy in the Future (D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., New York 1953).
Thompsett, S. L., Biochem. J., 30, 345 (1936).
Kehoe, R. A., Occupat. Med., 3, 156 (1963).
Lynch, G. R., Slater, R. S., and Osler, T. G., Analyst, 59, 787 (1934).
Weinig, E., and Börner, B., Arch. Toxic., 19, 34 (1961).
Hill, C. R., and Jaworowski, Z., Nature, 190, 353 (1961).
Friend, J. N., Man and the Chemical Elements (Charles Griffin and Co. Ltd., London, 1951).
Hensel, W., Slowianszczyzna Wczesnosredniowieczna (Państwowe Wydawnictowo Nauowe, Warszawa, 1965).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
JAWOROWSKI, Z. Stable Lead in Fossil Ice and Bones. Nature 217, 152–153 (1968). https://doi.org/10.1038/217152a0
Received:
Revised:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/217152a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
