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Stable lead isotope tracers of air mass trajectories in the Mediterranean region

Abstract

Stable lead isotopes in industrial lead-rich aerosols can be used as tracers of atmospheric air masses and to identify the geographical location of atmospheric lead emission sources. Industrial lead emissions outweigh natural emissions by two orders of magnitude and therefore determine the isotopic composition of atmospheric lead1. We report preliminary data which indicate that stable lead isotopes are effective in identifying source regions for aerosols from a variety of industrial lead emission sources in complicated atmospheric systems such as the Mediterranean region.

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References

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Maring, H., Settle, D., Buat-Ménard, P. et al. Stable lead isotope tracers of air mass trajectories in the Mediterranean region. Nature 330, 154–156 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/330154a0

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