High-resolution records of past and modern Pb exposure: Laser-ablation ICPMS profiles from tooth enamel

We present compositional and isotopic profiles of past and modern tooth enamel aimed at reconstructing in-vivo Pb exposure at high spatial and time resolution. Focus is on dental enamel because of its sequential mineralization preserving time-series information, and due to its resistance to post-mortem diagenetic alteration. Examples include medieval Pb–Ag miners from SW Germany (Black Forest), the port of ancient Rome (Isola Sacra) for an assessment of the ‘Pb poisoning hypothesis’, and a modern Pb–Zn smelter village in NE NSW. (Sub-)ppb levels of U, LREEs, Y in soil-buried enamel resembling modern enamel are utilized as indicators for the preservation of pristine in-vivo concentrations. T…