At the top of the world, lead pollution reaches even pristine glaciers

November 5, 2024

At the top of the world, lead pollution reaches even pristine glaciers

glacier with runoff

Human activities have led to the pollution of some of the remotest places in the world, a new study shows. 

By examining ice cores taken from the Guliya ice cap in northwestern Tibet, researchers found that by measuring lead isotopes in dust-filled samples, they could detect a clear change in lead source levels present in the environment long after the Industrial Revolution.