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Evidence for a decline in rural herbage lead levels in the U.K.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

Published
  • K. C. Jones
  • C. Symon
  • P. J.L. Taylor
  • J. Walsh
  • A. E. Jonhston
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<mark>Journal publication date</mark>1/01/1991
<mark>Journal</mark>Atmospheric Environment Part A, General Topics
Issue number2
Volume25
Number of pages9
Pages (from-to)361-369
Publication StatusPublished
<mark>Original language</mark>English

Abstract

Samples of herbage collected from field plots at Rothamsted Experimental Station in southeast England between 1956 and 1988 have been analyzed for Pb. Changes in atmospheric deposition of Pb, identifeid as a major source of foliar Pb, resulted in temporal trends in the Pb concentrations of the herbage. Annual herbage Pb concentrations at Rohthamsted correlated with the trend in annual U.K. air Pb over the years for which air data were available (1972-1988). This study provides evidence for a gradual reduction in herbage Pb concentrationsduring the study period, and of a recent, sharper decline following the reduction of petrol Pb at the beginning of 1986.