Coral records indicate six-decade rise and fall of atmospheric lead emission in China

Despite the global ban on leaded gasoline, environmental lead pollution remains a concern, especially in developing countries. Asia, and particularly China, has emerged as a major emission center, yet long-term records of atmospheric lead emission are scarce and often inconsistent. Here we reconstruct a 60-year history of lead concentration (lead/calcium) and isotopic composition in a coral from Dongsha Atoll in the northern South China Sea. The record shows a fourfold increase in lead level from 1953 to the mid-2000s, followed by a ~60% decline over the next decade. Shifts in lead isotopic composition suggest a transition from local automotive emissions to more distant industrial emissions, primarily from coal combustion in mainland China after 2000. This industrial source has declined significantly after the mid-2000s in response to stricter air pollution controls. Our findings highlight both the lasting legacy of leaded gasoline and the effectiveness of recent environmental policies in reducing atmospheric lead exposure. Lead concentrations in the South China Sea have reduced ~60% post-2000, according to a reconstructed record of lead concentration and isotopic composition from a coral reef.