Using isotopic lead and strontium in sediments to trace natural and anthropogenic sources in the Bohai Sea.

The containment history in the coastal zone of the Bohai Sea has not been sufficiently traced because of the difficulty in identifying complex sources of pollutants. This study quantitatively identified various sources of Pb and Sr in two tidal flat sediment cores from Bohai Bay (core BB) and Liaodong Bay (core LB) based on their isotope ratios to trace the natural and anthropogenic disturbance history in the Bohai Sea. The results showed that natural inputs of Pb were the main sources for cores BB and LB; however, core LB was more influenced by anthropogenic inputs.

Sources and health risks of heavy metals in kindergarten dust: The role of particle size.

Particle size effects significantly impact the concentration and toxicity of heavy metals (HMs) in dust. Nevertheless, the differences in concentrations, sources, and risks of HMs in dust with different particle sizes are unclear. Therefore, guided by the definition of atmospheric particulate matter, dust samples with particle sizes under 1000 μm (DT), 100 μm (DT), and 63 μm (DT) from Beijing kindergartens were collected.

Hazard profiles, distribution trends, and sources tracing of rare earth elements in dust of kindergartens in Beijing.

Children, the most vulnerable group in urban populations, are susceptible to the effects of pollution in urban environments. It is significant to evaluate the influence of rare earth elements (REEs) from kindergartens dust (KD) in Beijing on children's health. This study collected surface dust from 73 kindergartens in 16 districts of the mega-city of Beijing, and the concentrations of 14 REEs in KD, including La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu, were detected.

Remarkable contamination characteristics, potential hazards and source apportionment of heavy metals in surface dust of kindergartens in a northern megacity of China.

It is essential to understand the impact of heavy metals (HMs) present in the surface dust (SD) of kindergartens on children, who are highly sensitive to contaminated dust in cities in their growth stage. A study was conducted on 11 types of HMs present in the SD of 73 kindergartens in Beijing. This study aims to assess the pollution levels and sources of eleven HMs in Beijing's kindergartens surface dust (KSD), and estimate the potential health risks in different populations and sources.

Advances in the application of metallic isotopes to the identification of contaminant sources in environmental geochemistry.

The development of the economy and society makes heavy metals (HMs) pollution more and more serious. And, pollution source identification is the primary work of environmental pollution control and land planning. Notably, stable isotope technology has a high ability to distinguish pollution sources, and can better reflect the migration behavior and contribution of HMs from diverse sources, which has become a hot research tool for pollution source identification of HMs.