Lead from leaded petrol persists in London air despite '90s ban

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2021-06-21 22:00:09

June 21, 2021

by Caroline Brogan, Imperial College London

Lead levels in London's atmosphere have dropped drastically since lead additives in petrol were phased out, and currently meet UK air quality targets. However despite this drop, airborne particles in London are still highly lead-enriched compared to natural background levels, according to new Imperial research published today in PNAS.

The study found that up to 40 percent of lead in airborne particles today comes from the legacy of leaded petrol. The researchers say this highlights the long-term persistence of contaminants introduced by human activities in the environment.