Influence of anthropogenic activity on the lead isotope signature of Thau Lake sediments (southern France): origin and temporal evolution

Lead concentrations and isotopic compositions were determined on both bulk sediments deposited in the Thau lake in southern France during the last 200 years, and leachates derived from a series of sequential leachings of the sediments, making it possible to identify the sources, natural (i.e. indigenous lithologic) or anthropogenic, and to quantify the different inputs of Pb. Two distinct inputs of Pb could be distinguished. One of these corresponds to the terrigenous material entering the basin, representative of the local natural Pb ‘background’. Its supply remained steady most of the time with 206Pb/207Pb ratios of 1.200±0.003, except at the time of heavy storms producing voluminous and …