Tracing lead sources is crucial for targeting specific interventions to prevent exposure and contamination. Lead is a heavy metal that naturally occurs in the environment at trace levels. However, since the late 19th century, industrial activities, such as coal combustion, metal smelting, waste incineration and the widespread use of leaded gasoline, have contributed to increasing lead concentrations on land and in the ocean. Despite efforts to reduce lead pollution, including the global ban on leaded gasoline reached in 2021, concentrations in the ocean remain above background natural levels. Measurements of lead concentration alone cannot inform about its sources.
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