Vertical transport of anthropogenic lead by reversible scavenging in the South Atlantic Ocean

• Pb concentration and isotope composition data for GEOTRACES cruises GA02 and GA10. • Model-data comparison of Pb isotope compositions obtained with an eOMP analysis. • Evidence of vertical transport of anthropogenic Pb at 40°S. • Caution must be used when tracing water mass movements with Pb isotope ratios. Stable lead (Pb) isotopes have been regarded as tracers of ocean circulation, both in the present time and geological past. Here we present a new dataset of seawater Pb concentrations and isotope compositions for ten depth profiles from the South Atlantic Ocean (GEOTRACES cruises GA02 and GA10). By comparing Pb isotope data collected on the two cruises, and by modelling the distribution of Pb with an extended optimum multiparameter analysis, we find evidence of vertical transport of anthropogenic Pb pollution due to reversible scavenging. Surface to depth transfer of polluted Pb is aided by high suspended particulate matter loads at the Brazil – Malvinas Confluence and along ∼40°S in the South Atlantic. Overall, our findings caution the use of Pb isotope ratios as ventilation tracers in the South Atlantic and emphasize the importance of particle-seawater interaction for biogeochemical cycles.