Lead isotope ratio measurements by ICP-QMS to identify metal accumulation in vegetation specimens growing in mining environments

The use of variations in stable Pb isotope ratios has become a well-established diagnostic technique for characterising sources of lead contamination. In this work, lead isotope ratios in mining wastes (lead content 320–130,000 mg kg−1) and vegetation specimens (lead concentration 7–650 mg kg−1) have been determined by inductively coupled plasma quadrupole-based mass spectrometry (ICPQMS) in order to investigate lead bioaccumulation in Buddleia davidii growing on wastes from two abandoned Pb/Zn mining areas in Spain. The accuracy of the isotope ratio measurements was evaluated by analysing a certified isotopic standard NIST SRM 981. Good agreements were obtained between the lead isotope ratios measured and the certified values (deviations within 0.01–0.2%). The results indicate that the lead isotopic ratios in vegetation samples collected in the mining areas differed from those of a specimen from an uncontaminated site (control sample). However, close lead isotope ratio values were found between vegetation specimens and mining tailings. Therefore, the results suggest that lead in the collected vegetation specimens is most likely related to the influence of mining activities rather than to other sources like past leaded-petrol emissions.