The fate of anthropogenic Pb in soils; years after Pb terminated as a fuel additive; Northern Israel

Harlavan, Yehudit; Shirav, Moshe; Ilani, Shimon; Halicz, Ludwik; Yoffe, Olga

The fate of anthropogenic Pb in soils; years after Pb terminated as a fuel additive; Northern Israel

2021

Harlavan, Yehudit | Shirav, Moshe | Ilani, Shimon | Halicz, Ludwik | Yoffe, Olga

The source for Lead (Pb) pollution in soils from the heavily industrialized area located along the coast of the Eastern Mediterranean, Haifa Bay, Northern Israel, is studied using the lead isotopic composition. The uniqueness of the studied data set is that it includes samples of soils, road-wash, and storm-dust sampled for nearly three decades (1988–2017). Road-wash sediments are similar in both elemental and Pb isotopic composition to soils sampled in the same year (2010), indicating re-suspension of local soil, as its origin. Soils sampled during and before 1993 show no evidence for Pb contamination (bulk soil values), although Pb as an additive was already in use. Furthermore, soil overturns hinder the possibility to trace changes in the Pb isotopic composition with time in soils of the same location. Soils sampled from 1995–8 to 2013 were significantly dominated by Post-1992 Pb additive, pointing to Pb’s peak as an additive. Soils Pb and Zn Enrichment factors for most samples are below 5, and their anthropogenic source is likely common. Forest fire enriched Pb and Zn in the soil, and their Pb isotope compositions reflect this enrichment. Lead from the Hod Assaf recycling plant detected up to some 2.5 km away, and although not analyzed in the current study, dioxin-like compounds possibly accompanied Pb.

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