Airborne lead in the Springfield, Missouri, area during a 19-year period (1975-1993)

Concentrations of airborne lead at Springfield, Missouri, in 1975-1993 have been determined by analysis of particulate material collected on glass-fiber filters during the 19-year period. Nitric acid-soluble lead in 1100 samples collected at a total of 19 monitoring stations was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy and by differential pulse polarography. Ambient concentrations of airborne lead were found to decrease steadily (by more than 90%) during this period in spite of increases in area population and in automobile traffic. The decrease is significantly correlated with national trends in total emissions of lead to the atmosphere and with US ambient lead levels. Airborne lead from a coal-fired power plant was small compared with that from gasoline burning.