Identification of lead sources in residential environments: Sydney Australia

•Exterior Pb loading and interior Pb dust loading and concentrations correlate with soil Pb.•Exterior dust gauge Pb loading rates and interior vacuum dust Pb concentrations peak in the summer.•Interior dust lead came from soil in two of the three houses and from soil and Pb paint in the third home.•Modelling predicts that children's blood Pb levels could exceed 5 μg/dL in two of the five houses.

Interior and exterior dust, soil and paint were analysed at five brick urban Sydney homes over 15 months to evaluate temporal variations and discriminate sources of lead (Pb) exposure. Exterior dust gauge Pb loading rates (μg/m2/28 days), interior vacuum dust Pb concentrations (mg/kg) and interior petri-dish Pb loading rates (μg/m2/28 days), were correlated positively with soil Pb concentrations. Exterior dust gauge Pb loading rates and interior vacuum dust Pb concentrations peaked in the summer. Lead isotope and Pb speciation (XAS) were analysed in soil and vacuum dust samples from three of the five houses that had elevated Pb concentrations. Results show that the source of interior dust lead was primarily from soil in two of the three houses and from soil and Pb paint in the third home. IEUBK child blood Pb modelling predicts that children's blood Pb levels could exceed 5 μg/dL in two of the five houses.