<p>The lead isotopic ratios of forty-six Tertiary coals of North East India were analysed and compared with thirteen Gondwana coals of Peninsular India. To characterize the environmental fallout of coal mining emissions in Makum, the heavy metals Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb were analysed in the tea garden leaves and soils. The Gondwana coals were comparatively enriched in the heavier Pb isotopes than the Tertiary coals. The ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ratios of the Oligocene coals of upper Assam ranged between 0.8355–0.8894 and 2.0765–2.1544 while in the Palaeocene–Eocene coals from Meghalaya, the corresponding range was between 0.8007–0.8520 and 2.0125–2.0933. The ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb versus ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb plot of the three types of coal showed a distinct geographic spread. The mean content (mg/kg, wet weight basis) of Cu (2.6), Cd (0.03), and Pb (1.9) in the tea leaves were below the regulatory guidelines of the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (PFA), India. Lead isotopic source apportionment and multivariate statistical analysis of trace metals in the tea leaves showed that Pb in the tea leaves was mainly due to coal emission. The lead isotopic ratios of the Oligocene coals overlapped with the cited values of aerosols in eastern India.</p>