Coral records indicate six-decade rise and fall of atmospheric lead emission in China
Abstract 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...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Communications Earth & Environment |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02363-5 |
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| author | Ke Lin Mengli Chen Jin Wang Chenyang Shu Yue-Gau Chen Xianfeng Wang |
| author_facet | Ke Lin Mengli Chen Jin Wang Chenyang Shu Yue-Gau Chen Xianfeng Wang |
| author_sort | Ke Lin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract 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. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-26ee1d6989b24dd8a8726b61db7b67ec |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2662-4435 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Earth & Environment |
| spelling | doaj-art-26ee1d6989b24dd8a8726b61db7b67ec2025-08-20T01:51:41ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Earth & Environment2662-44352025-05-01611910.1038/s43247-025-02363-5Coral records indicate six-decade rise and fall of atmospheric lead emission in ChinaKe Lin0Mengli Chen1Jin Wang2Chenyang Shu3Yue-Gau Chen4Xianfeng Wang5Department of Geosciences, National Taiwan UniversityEarth Observatory of Singapore and Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological UniversityKey Laboratory of Water Quality and Conservation in the Pearl River Delta, Ministry of Education, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Guangzhou UniversityCollege of Atmospheric Sciences, Chengdu University of Information TechnologyDepartment of Geosciences, National Taiwan UniversityEarth Observatory of Singapore and Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological UniversityAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02363-5 |
| spellingShingle | Ke Lin Mengli Chen Jin Wang Chenyang Shu Yue-Gau Chen Xianfeng Wang Coral records indicate six-decade rise and fall of atmospheric lead emission in China Communications Earth & Environment |
| title | Coral records indicate six-decade rise and fall of atmospheric lead emission in China |
| title_full | Coral records indicate six-decade rise and fall of atmospheric lead emission in China |
| title_fullStr | Coral records indicate six-decade rise and fall of atmospheric lead emission in China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Coral records indicate six-decade rise and fall of atmospheric lead emission in China |
| title_short | Coral records indicate six-decade rise and fall of atmospheric lead emission in China |
| title_sort | coral records indicate six decade rise and fall of atmospheric lead emission in china |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-02363-5 |
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