The multilevel cycle of anthropogenic lead: I. Methodology

Lead is a widely employed industrial metal in modern society, and one that in certain forms and concentrations is toxic to humans and animals. A comprehensive accounting of the anthropogenic mobilization and use of lead must treat a series of life stages: mining and refining, fabrication and manufacturing, utilization, and end of life treatment. In this paper, we discuss the characteristics of each of the components of anthropogenic lead cycles with special emphasis on the lead use pattern, as well as generic approaches to the acquisition and evaluation of data over space and time. Data quality and data utility are evaluated, noting that information relevant to technology and resource policy is easier to acquire than is information relevant to lead discharged to the environment, partly because the spatial scale required by the latter is considerably smaller and the flow rates are difficult to obtain. Despite considerable data limitations, we conclude that information is sufficiently available and the data sufficiently accurate to characterize lead cycles at a variety of spatial levels.