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<p>Despite the global ban on leaded gasoline, environmental lead pollution remains a concern, especially in developing countries. Asia, and particularly China, has emerged as a major emission center, yet long-term records of atmospheric lead emission are scarce and often inconsistent. Here we reconstruct a 60-year history of lead concentration (lead/calcium) and isotopic composition in a coral from Dongsha Atoll in the northern South China Sea. The record shows a fourfold increase in lead level from 1953 to the mid-2000s, followed by a ~60% decline over the next decade. Shifts in lead isotopic composition suggest a transition from local automotive emissions to more distant industrial emissions, primarily from coal combustion in mainland China after 2000. This industrial source has declined significantly after the mid-2000s in response to stricter air pollution controls. Our findings highlight both the lasting legacy of leaded gasoline and the effectiveness of recent environmental policies in reducing atmospheric lead exposure.</p>

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Coral records indicate six-decade rise and fall of atmospheric lead emission in China

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2025年5月15日

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  • Ke Lin,
  • Mengli Chen,
  • Jin Wang,
  • Chenyang Shu,
  • Yue-Gau Chen,
  • Xianfeng Wang

摘要

Despite the global ban on leaded gasoline, environmental lead pollution remains a concern, especially in developing countries. Asia, and particularly China, has emerged as a major emission center, yet long-term records of atmospheric lead emission are scarce and often inconsistent. Here we reconstruct a 60-year history of lead concentration (lead/calcium) and isotopic composition in a coral from Dongsha Atoll in the northern South China Sea. The record shows a fourfold increase in lead level from 1953 to the mid-2000s, followed by a ~60% decline over the next decade. Shifts in lead isotopic composition suggest a transition from local automotive emissions to more distant industrial emissions, primarily from coal combustion in mainland China after 2000. This industrial source has declined significantly after the mid-2000s in response to stricter air pollution controls. Our findings highlight both the lasting legacy of leaded gasoline and the effectiveness of recent environmental policies in reducing atmospheric lead exposure.