Reconstruction of historical atmospheric Pb using Dutch urban lake sediments: A Pb isotope study

Lake sediments provide a record of atmospheric Pb deposition and changes in Pb isotope composition. To our knowledge, such an approach has not previously been performed in The Netherlands or linked to national air monitoring data. Results are presented for Pb content and isotope composition of 137Cs dated lake sediments from 2 Dutch urban lakes. Between 1942 and 2002A.D. anthropogenic atmospheric Pb deposition rates in the two lakes varied from 12±2 to 69±16μgcm−2year−1. The rise and fall of leaded gasoline is clearly reflected in the reconstructed atmospheric Pb deposition rates. After the ban on leaded gasoline, late 1970s/early 1980s, atmospheric Pb deposition rates decreased rapidly in the two urban lakes and the relative contributions of other anthropogenic Pb sources — incinerator ash (industrial Pb) and coal/galena — increased sharply. Atmospheric Pb deposition rates inferred from the lake record a clear relationship with nearby measured annual mean air Pb concentrations. Based on this relationship it was estimated that air Pb concentrations between 1942 and 2002A.D. varied between 5 and 293ng/m3. •Sixty years of atmospheric Pb was reconstructed using urban lake sediments.•Stable Pb isotopes were applied to determine Pb sources in urban lakes.•The rise and fall of leaded gasoline is clearly reflected in the lake sediments.•Other dominant anthropogenic Pb sources are incinerator ash and coal/galena.•The lake Pb record shows a clear relationship with measured air Pb concentrations.