Effects of antipollution policy on anthropogenic lead transfers in the Ligurian Sea

As a consequence of the relatively recent introduction of antipollution laws concerning the Pb content in gasolines, a significant decrease in atmospheric Pb concentration levels has been observed. With the contamination of seawater being directly linked to atmospheric flux variations, the concentrations of dissolved Pb in surface seawater have also shown a decrease. Atmospheric and surface marine Pb concentrations therefore exhibit similar temporal evolutions. At the present time, deep Ligurian waters are being affected by the decrease in automotive Pb consumption, with the gradient of Pb concentrations with depth being indicative of the response time of deep waters to environmental perturbations. Such observations highlight the effectiveness of international antipollution policies.