History of Lead Pollution Recorded in East China Sea Sediments

Box cores collected from the shelf and slope regions of the East China Sea during 1996–1997 were analyzed for 210Pb, 137Cs, 239,240Pu and Pb concentrations to establish sediment chronologies and unravel the history of lead pollution. The data show pronounced increases of anthropogenic lead during the past two decades that can be attributed to rapid economic growth and the lack of waste control practices in China. From the circulation pattern and spatial variations of sedimentation rates and fluxes of anthropogenic Pb, it is clear that the Yangtze River is the main source of sediments and pollutants in this marginal sea.