1
|
Đurđić S, Stanković V, Ražić S, Mutić J. Is a Lead Isotope Ratios in Wine Good Marker for Origin Assessment? Front Chem 2021; 9:746695. [PMID: 34671591 PMCID: PMC8521031 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2021.746695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Lead isotope ratio pattern (206Pb/207Pb, 208Pb/206Pb, 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb) was analyzed in 59 samples of Serbian wine, from four geographical regions. By utilization of powerful inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS), lead isotope ratios were used as unique "fingerprint", when combined with multivariate methods of analysis (Principal Component Analysis), provided information on the geographical origin of wine. In validation of ICP- QMS method and quantitative analysis, the certified reference material NIST SRM 981 was employed to test the mass-bias correction and thallium isotopes 203Tl and 205Tl (NIST SRM 997) as an internal standard. The obtained results were discussed in correlation with the corresponding values of LIRs of different European and Australian wines. In addition, the impact of anthropogenic Pb from different sources on the total Pb isotopic composition in Serbian wines was analyzed too. On the other side, the obtained values of Pb content were compared with the applicable health safety standards, according to the International Code of Oenological Practices.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Slađana Đurđić
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vesna Stanković
- Department of Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Slavica Ražić
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jelena Mutić
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Smith KE, Weis D, Scott SR, Berg CJ, Segal Y, Claeys P. Regional and global perspectives of honey as a record of lead in the environment. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 195:110800. [PMID: 33529648 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Honey from Apis mellifera is a useful and inexpensive biomonitor for mapping metal distributions in urban centers. The sampling resolution of a biomonitoring survey (e.g., city versus global scale) determines which geochemical processes are reflected in the results. This study presents Pb isotopic compositions and metal concentrations in honey from around the world, sampled at varying resolutions: honey from Canada (n = 21), the United States (n = 111), Belgium (n = 25), and New Zealand (n = 10), with additional samples from Afghanistan, Brazil, Cuba, Germany, Liberia, Taiwan, and Turkey. Honey was sampled at high resolution in two uniquely different land-use settings (New York Metro Area and the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i), at regional-scale resolution in eastern North America (including the Great Lakes region), and Pb isotopic compositions of all samples were compared on a global scale. At high sampling resolution, metal concentrations in honey reveal spatially significant concentration gradients: in New York City, metals associated with human activity and city infrastructure (e.g., Pb, Sb, Ti, V) are more concentrated in honey collected within the city compared to honey from upstate New York, and metal concentrations in honey from Kaua'i suggest polluting effects of nearby agricultural operations. At lower resolution (regional and global scales), lead isotopic compositions of honey are more useful than metal concentrations in revealing large-scale Pb processes (e.g., the enduring legacy of global leaded gasoline use throughout the twentieth century) and the continental origin of the honey. Lead isotopic compositions of honey collected from N. America (especially from the eastern USA) are more radiogenic (206Pb/207Pb: 1.132-1.253, 208Pb/206Pb: 2.001-2.129) compared to European honey, and honey from New Zealand, which has the least radiogenic isotopic compositions measured in this study (206Pb/207Pb: 1.077-1.160, 208Pb/206Pb: 2.090-2.187). Thus, biomonitoring using honey at different resolutions reflects differing processes and, to some extent, a honey terroir defined by the Pb isotopic composition. The data presented here provide important (and current) global context for future studies that utilize Pb isotopes in honey. Moreover, this study exhibits community science in action, as most of the honey was collected by collaborators around the world, working directly with local apiarists and hobby beekeepers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kate E Smith
- Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2020-2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada.
| | - Dominique Weis
- Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2020-2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Sean R Scott
- Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Yaffa Segal
- New Rochelle High School, New Rochelle, NY, USA
| | - Philippe Claeys
- Analytical, Environmental and Geochemistry, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Flegal AR, Odigie KO. Distinguishing between Natural and Industrial Lead in Consumer Products and Other Environmental Matrices. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:12810-12819. [PMID: 32078325 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.9b07848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
California's Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65) was designed to protect the state's populace from exposures to toxic levels of chemicals in consumer products, including foods, by requiring businesses to warn the public about any of those hazards. There is, however, one qualification in the legislation, which is that warnings are not required if the source of that contamination is natural, as opposed to industrial. That qualification is especially problematic for lead because "natural" and "industrial" lead have a common origin and behave the same in the environment and industrial lead contamination has been pandemic for millennia. As a result of that historic and ongoing contamination, ambient lead levels in the biosphere may be orders of magnitude above natural levels, limiting comparisons of "natural" versus "industrial" lead concentrations in products. Further complicating those comparisons are reports of erroneously high measurements of lead concentrations in the biosphere as a result of sample contamination during collection, storage, and analysis. Some of those problems may be addressed with measurements of lead concentrations using rigorous trace metal clean techniques. These techniques often yield lead concentrations that are below the Act's maximum exposure in foods and non-foods of 0.5 μg/day, eliminating the need for a public alert. Those techniques have also been used to derive natural lead concentrations in a few organisms (marine fish, humans, rats, and dandelions), which range from 2- to 100-fold below ambient levels. However, extrapolating from those few determinations to establish natural lead levels in other organisms is complicated and often inappropriate. Complementary stable lead isotopic composition measurements have also been used to estimate the percent of natural and industrial lead in some consumer products, including foods, wine, and dietary supplements. These measurements, however, require the isotopic compositions of both the "natural" and "industrial" lead end members, which may be poorly defined. In addition, the global market has further complicated identification of the "industrial" lead end member, because lead contamination of foods can occur during production, harvesting, storage, shipping, processing, and packaging, which can happen in different locales within a country, different countries, and even different continents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- A Russell Flegal
- Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California 96064, United States
| | - Kingsley O Odigie
- Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, California 92521, United States
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Lancellotti L, Sighinolfi S, Marchetti A, Tassi L. Use of Lead Isotopic Ratios as Geographical Tracer for Lambrusco PDO Wines. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25071641. [PMID: 32252457 PMCID: PMC7180896 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25071641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In this study, the lead isotope signature was tested with the aim to verify its potential as geographic tracer for wine production and particularly for the Lambrusco PDO wines of the province of Modena (Italy). A solid phase extraction procedure, for separating lead from the investigated matrices, soil and wine, was optimized. Furthermore, different mathematical models, based on an exponential law and internal or external correction approach, were evaluated for the correction of instrumental mass dependent fractionation. The optimized analytical procedure yielded isotopic ratio data relative to the lead NIST 981 standard, 208Pb/206Pb = 2.16664 and 207Pb/206Pb = 0.914645, in good agreement both with the tabulated values and with the most recent literature data. Measured isotope ratio data highlight the contribute of multiple lead sources in bottled wine but different from the one present in soils.
Collapse
|
5
|
Karavoltsos S, Sakellari A, Sinanoglou VJ, Zoumpoulakis P, Plavšić M, Dassenakis M, Kalogeropoulos N. Copper Complexing Capacity and Trace Metal Content in Common and Balsamic Vinegars: Impact of Organic Matter. Molecules 2020; 25:molecules25040861. [PMID: 32075327 PMCID: PMC7070403 DOI: 10.3390/molecules25040861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2020] [Revised: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex formation is among the mechanisms affecting metal bioaccessibility. Hence, the quantification of organic metal complexation in food items is of interest. Organic ligands in solutions of environmental and/or food origin function as buffering agents against small changes in dissolved metal concentrations, being able to maintain free metal ion concentrations below the toxicity threshold. Organic matter in vinegars consists of bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols, Maillard reaction endproducts, etc., capable of complexing metal ions. Furthermore, transition metal ions are considered as micronutrients essential for living organisms exerting a crucial role in metabolic processes. In this study, differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DPASV), a sensitive electrochemical technique considered to be a powerful tool for the study of metal speciation, was applied for the first time in vinegar samples. The concentrations of Cu complexing ligands (LT) in 43 vinegars retailed in Greece varied between 0.05 and 52 μM, with the highest median concentration determined in balsamic vinegars (14 μM), compared to that of common vinegars (0.86 μM). In 21% of the vinegar samples examined, LT values were exceeded by the corresponding total Cu concentrations, indicating the presence of free Cu ion and/or bound within labile inorganic/organic complexes. Red grape balsamic vinegars exhibited the highest density of Cu ligands per mass unit of organic matter compared to other foodstuffs such as herbal infusions, coffee brews, and beers. Among the 16 metals determined in vinegars, Pb is of particular importance from a toxicological point of view, whereas further investigation is required regarding potential Rb biomagnification.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sotirios Karavoltsos
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece; (A.S.); (M.D.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +30-210-7274049
| | - Aikaterini Sakellari
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece; (A.S.); (M.D.)
| | - Vassilia J. Sinanoglou
- University of West Attica, Department of Food Science and Technology, Laboratory of Chemistry, Analysis & Design of Food Processes, Agiou Spiridonos 28, Egaleo 122 43, Greece
| | - Panagiotis Zoumpoulakis
- Institute of Chemical Biology, National Hellenic Research Foundation, 48, Vas. Constantinou Ave., 11635 Athens, Greece;
| | - Marta Plavšić
- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Division for Marine and Environmental Research, P.O. Box 180, 10002 Zagreb, Croatia;
| | - Manos Dassenakis
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Chemistry, Laboratory of Environmental Chemistry, Panepistimiopolis, Zografou, 15784 Athens, Greece; (A.S.); (M.D.)
| | - Nick Kalogeropoulos
- Harokopio University of Athens, Department of Dietetics-Nutrition, School of Health Science and Education, El. Venizelou 70, Kallithea, 176 76 Athens, Greece;
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Epova EN, Bérail S, Séby F, Barre JP, Vacchina V, Médina B, Sarthou L, Donard OF. Potential of lead elemental and isotopic signatures for authenticity and geographical origin of Bordeaux wines. Food Chem 2020; 303:125277. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2019.125277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Revised: 07/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
7
|
Das A, Krishna K, Kumar R, Das A, Sengupta S, Ghosh JG. Tracing lead contamination in foods in the city of Kolkata, India. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:22454-22466. [PMID: 27549235 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7409-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Lead isotopic ratios (LIR) of eight common food items, street dust, coal, diesel, sediments, lead ore and rainwater from India have been reported for the first time in this paper. This study characterized the source and extent of lead pollution in the different foodstuff consumed in Kolkata, a major metropolis of eastern India. The atmospheric lead input to the food items, sold openly in busy roadside markets of the city, has been quantified. The mean 207/206 and 208/206 LIRs of the eight food items ranged from 0.8847 to 0.8924 and 2.145 to 2.167, respectively. Diesel had the highest mean 207/206 and 208/206 values of 0.9015 and 2.1869, respectively, apart from the lead ore. The food items had a mean lead concentration between 3.78 and 43.35 mg kg-1. The two ratio scatter plots of all the different environmental matrices were spread linearly between the uncontaminated Ichapur sediment and diesel. The 207/206 LIRs of the coal with a mean of 0.8777 did not fall in the linear trend, while the street dust and food samples overlapped strongly. The rainwater sample had a 207/206 LIR of 0.9007. Contaminated sediments in Dhapa, the repository of the city's municipal garbage, had a mean 207/206 LIR of 0.8658. The corresponding value obtained from the sewage-fed vegetable grown there was 0.8058. The present study indicated that diesel was one of the main contributor to Pb pollution. The atmospheric lead contribution to the food items was in the range of 68.48-86.66 %.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Avijit Das
- Laser Ablation Multicollector ICPMS (LAMCI) Laboratory, Geochronology& Isotope Geology Division, Geological Survey of India, Dharitri, Salt Lake, Kolkata, 700091, India.
| | - Kvss Krishna
- Laser Ablation Multicollector ICPMS (LAMCI) Laboratory, Geochronology& Isotope Geology Division, Geological Survey of India, Dharitri, Salt Lake, Kolkata, 700091, India
| | - Rajeev Kumar
- Laser Ablation Multicollector ICPMS (LAMCI) Laboratory, Geochronology& Isotope Geology Division, Geological Survey of India, Dharitri, Salt Lake, Kolkata, 700091, India
| | - Anindya Das
- Central Chemical Laboratory, Geological Survey of India, 15A&B Kyd Street, Kolkata, 700016,, India
| | - Siladitya Sengupta
- Laser Ablation Multicollector ICPMS (LAMCI) Laboratory, Geochronology& Isotope Geology Division, Geological Survey of India, Dharitri, Salt Lake, Kolkata, 700091, India
| | - Joy Gopal Ghosh
- Laser Ablation Multicollector ICPMS (LAMCI) Laboratory, Geochronology& Isotope Geology Division, Geological Survey of India, Dharitri, Salt Lake, Kolkata, 700091, India
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Yuan Y, Hu G, Chen T, Zhao M, Zhang Y, Li Y, Xu X, Shao S, Zhu J, Wang Q, Rogers KM. Improved Discrimination for Brassica Vegetables Treated with Agricultural Fertilizers Using a Combined Chemometric Approach. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2016; 64:5633-5643. [PMID: 27355562 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.6b00453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Multielement and stable isotope (δ(13)C, δ(15)N, δ(2)H, δ(18)O, (207)Pb/(206)Pb, and (208)Pb/(206)Pb) analyses were combined to provide a new chemometric approach to improve the discrimination between organic and conventional Brassica vegetable production. Different combinations of organic and conventional fertilizer treatments were used to demonstrate this authentication approach using Brassica chinensis planted in experimental test pots. Stable isotope analyses (δ(15)N and δ(13)C) of B. chinensis using elemental analyzer-isotope ratio mass spectrometry easily distinguished organic and chemical fertilizer treatments. However, for low-level application fertilizer treatments, this dual isotope approach became indistinguishable over time. Using a chemometric approach (combined isotope and elemental approach), organic and chemical fertilizer mixes and low-level applications of synthetic and organic fertilizers were detectable in B. chinensis and their associated soils, improving the detection limit beyond the capacity of individual isotopes or elemental characterization. LDA shows strong promise as an improved method to discriminate genuine organic Brassica vegetables from produce treated with chemical fertilizers and could be used as a robust test for organic produce authentication.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuwei Yuan
- Institute of Quality and Standards for Agricultural Products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
- Key Lab for Pesticide Residue Detection, Ministry of Agriculture , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
| | - Guixian Hu
- Institute of Quality and Standards for Agricultural Products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
- Key Lab for Pesticide Residue Detection, Ministry of Agriculture , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
| | - Tianjin Chen
- Institute of Quality Standards and Testing Technology for Agro-Products, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Beijing 100081, P.R. China
| | - Ming Zhao
- Qingdao Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Qingdao 266100, P.R. China
| | - Yongzhi Zhang
- Institute of Quality and Standards for Agricultural Products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
- Key Lab for Pesticide Residue Detection, Ministry of Agriculture , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
| | - Yong Li
- College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Hunan University , Changsha 410082, China
| | - Xiahong Xu
- Institute of Quality and Standards for Agricultural Products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
- Key Lab for Pesticide Residue Detection, Ministry of Agriculture , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
| | - Shengzhi Shao
- Institute of Quality and Standards for Agricultural Products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
- Key Lab for Pesticide Residue Detection, Ministry of Agriculture , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
| | - Jiahong Zhu
- Institute of Quality and Standards for Agricultural Products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
- Key Lab for Pesticide Residue Detection, Ministry of Agriculture , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Institute of Quality and Standards for Agricultural Products, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
- Key Lab for Pesticide Residue Detection, Ministry of Agriculture , Hangzhou 310021, P.R. China
| | - Karyne M Rogers
- National Isotope Centre, GNS Science , 30 Gracefield Road, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Evans JA, Pashley V, Richards GJ, Brereton N, Knowles TG. Geogenic lead isotope signatures from meat products in Great Britain: Potential for use in food authentication and supply chain traceability. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2015; 537:447-452. [PMID: 26282777 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.07.133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2015] [Revised: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 07/27/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents lead (Pb) isotope data from samples of farm livestock raised in three areas of Britain that have elevated natural Pb levels: Central Wales, the Mendips and the Derbyshire Peak District. This study highlights three important observations; that the Pb found in modern British meat from these three areas is geogenic and shows no clear evidence of modern tetraethyl anthropogenic Pb contribution; that the generally excellent match between the biological samples and the ore field data, particularly for the Mendip and Welsh data, suggests that this technique might be used to provenance biological products to specific ore sites, under favourable conditions; and that modern systems reflect the same process of biosphere averaging that is analogous to cultural focusing in human archaeological studies that is the process of biological averaging leading to an homogenised isotope signature with increasing Pb concentration.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Gemma J Richards
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK
| | - Nicola Brereton
- The Food and Environment Research Agency, Sand Hutton, York YO41 1LZ, UK
| | - Toby G Knowles
- School of Veterinary Science, University of Bristol, Bristol BS40 5DU, UK
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Gulson B, Korsch M, Winchester W, Devenish M, Hobbs T, Main C, Smith G, Rosman K, Howearth L, Burn-Nunes L, Seow J, Oxford C, Yun G, Gillam L, Crisp M. Successful application of lead isotopes in source apportionment, legal proceedings, remediation and monitoring. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2012; 112:100-110. [PMID: 21925655 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2011.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2011] [Revised: 08/03/2011] [Accepted: 08/08/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In late 2006, the seaside community in Esperance Western Australia was alerted to thousands of native bird species dying. The source of the lead (Pb) was determined by Pb isotopes to derive from the handling of Pb carbonate concentrate through the Port, which began in July 2005. Concern was expressed for the impact of this on the community. Our objectives were to employ Pb isotope ratios to evaluate the source of Pb in environmental samples for use in legal proceedings, and for use in remediation and monitoring. Isotope measurements were undertaken of bird livers, plants, drinking water, soil, harbour sediments, air, bulk ceiling dust, gutter sludge, surface swabs and blood. The unique lead isotopic signature of the contaminating Pb carbonate enabled diagnostic apportionment of lead in samples. Apart from some soil and water samples, the proportion of contaminating Pb was >95% in the environmental samples. Lead isotopes were critical in resolving legal proceedings, are being used in the remediation of premises, were used in monitoring of workers involved in the decontamination of the storage facility, and monitoring transport of the concentrate through another port facility. Air samples show the continued presence of contaminant Pb, more than one year after shipping of concentrate ceased, probably arising from dust resuspension. Brief details of the comprehensive testing and cleanup of the Esperance community are provided along with the role of the Community. Lead isotopic analyses can provide significant benefits to regulatory agencies, interested parties, and the community where the signature is able to be characterised with a high degree of certainty.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian Gulson
- Graduate School of the Environment, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|