title: Identification of environmental lead sources and pathways in a mining and smelting town: Mount Isa, Australia.
abstract: Lead (Pb) concentrations and isotopic compositions from soils, dusts and aerosols from public land and residential lots adjacent to the copper and Pb mine and smelter at Mount Isa, Australia, were examined to understand the sources and risks of environmental Pb exposure. Urban soil samples contain elevated Pb concentrations (mean 1560 mg/kg), of which 45-85% of the Pb is bioaccessible. The Pb isotopic composition of surface soils (0-2 cm), aerosols and dusts ((206)Pb/(207)Pb, (208)Pb/(207)Pb range: 1.049, 2.322-1.069, 2.345) are dominated by Pb derived from the Mount Isa Pb-zinc ore bodies. Underlying soil horizons (10-20 cm) have distinctly different Pb isotopic compositions ((206)Pb/(207)Pb, (208)Pb/(207)Pb range: 1.093, 2.354-1.212, 2.495). Surface soil-, dust- and aerosol-Pb are derived predominantly from smelter emissions and fugitive mining sources and not from in situ weathered bedrock. Remediation strategies should target legacy and ongoing sources of environmental Pb to mitigate the problem of Pb exposure at Mount Isa.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Science, Department of Environment and Geography, Faculty of Science, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Mackay
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Munksgaard
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hudson-Edwards
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burn-Nunes
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis*; D008669:Metallurgy; D008906:Mining
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007854:Lead
keywords: Blood lead (PbB); Contamination; Lead (Pb); Lead isotope; Mining and smelting; Mount Isa