Abstract
Recently, speculation has grown that the European forest damage may be caused by the continual exposure of trees to rainwater containing trialkyl lead salts1 (R3PbX; R = ethyl, methyl). These are degradation products of tetraalkyl lead (R4Pb) which are added to petroleum as anti-knock agents; they inhibit tubulin polymerization2,3 and are highly toxic to mammalian and plant cells4. Here we describe the analysis of rainwater samples collected at two sites in the Black Forest, FRG. Total lead content was measured by atomic absorption and found to be in the range previously determined for rural areas5. The portion of R3PbX was assayed by the inhibition of pork brain tubulin polymerization. R3PbX was present in one-third of all rainwater samples. The highest concentration was 0.3 µM, that is 103 times higher than previously reported5. For comparison, 1 µM R3PbX killed soybean cells or neuroblastoma cells in culture4.
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Faulstich, H., Stournaras, C. Potentially toxic concentrations of triethyl lead in Black Forest rainwater samples. Nature 317, 714–715 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/317714a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/317714a0
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