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Lead in Archeological Human Bones Reflecting Historical Changes in Lead Production
Yigal Erel1, Ron Pinhasi2, Alfredo Coppa2,3,4
1The Fredy & Nadine Herrmann Institute of Earth Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190401, Israel.
Environmental Science & Technology
|November 2, 2021
Summary
Human lead exposure directly mirrors historical lead production, with bone analysis showing pollution trends over 12,000 years. Increased future metal production may pose health risks.
Area of Science:
- Paleoanthropology
- Environmental Science
- Toxicology
Background:
- Historical lead production estimates exist, but direct human exposure data is limited.
- Cupellation, a lead refining technique, was discovered approximately 5000 years ago.
- Understanding long-term lead exposure is crucial for assessing environmental health impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To directly measure human lead exposure over 12,000 years.
- To compare historical lead exposure with estimated lead production rates.
- To assess the implications of current lead pollution trends for future human health.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of lead concentrations in petrous bones from Italian archaeological sites.
- Direct measurement techniques for quantifying lead in human remains.
- Correlation of direct lead exposure data with historical archeological and production data.
Main Results:
- Lead concentrations in petrous bones reveal human exposure patterns over 12,000 years.
- Human lead exposure closely replicated estimated global lead production dynamics.
- A strong correlation was observed between anthropogenic lead production and human exposure levels.
Conclusions:
- Direct human lead exposure has historically tracked lead production.
- Current and future increases in lead production may significantly impact human health.
- This study provides a direct, long-term human perspective on environmental lead pollution.
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