Lead pollutants in the environment origin from lead losses in the anthropogenic lead cycle, and the diversity of lead loss species indicates different starting points for transferring and transformation in the environmental medium. The knowledge of lead loss species from anthropogenic flow can help lay a scientific and sound foundation for future environmental risk assessment and source management. The anthropogenic lead flow was tracked down in the research, and with the methodology of physical and chemical analysis, the species of lead losses in all life-cycle stages were recognized. The year 2010 was used as a case study for quantitative speciation analysis of total lead losses. It turns out that PbSO4 is most, which contributes 23.4% of the total losses; followed by PbO, Pb and PbCO3, and these three species together occupy 46.2%. In addition, for every 1 kt refined lead consumed domestically, lead losses total 547.9 t, of which 73.3% are from use and waste management & recycling. In view of speciation, PbSO4 is 128.2 t and mainly occurs in production and waste management & recycling; while most PbO, Pb and PbCO3 are separately from waste management & recycling, use and production. |