Insights into biogenic and diagenetic lead exposure in experimentally altered modern and archaeological bone: Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence imaging

Simpson, Rachel; Varney, Tamara L.; Coulthard, I.; Swanston, Treena; Grimes, Vaughan; Munkittrick, T. Jessica A.; Jankauskas, Rimantas; Cooper, David M.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148144

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…For elements that are not evenly distributed across osteons, it might not be appropriate to combine intact and fragmentary osteons in comparisons of OB element concentrations. Lead, for example, localizes in cement lines and at the margins of central canals (Choudhury et al, 2016, 2017; Pemmer et al, 2013; Rasmussen et al, 2019; Simpson, Varney, et al, 2021; Swanston et al, 2012, 2018). That could present a problem because osteons early in superimposed sequences were often missing central canals, and cement lines were never intact.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Through the data acquisition and management capacities of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) it is possible to take full advantage of trace elements measured through Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS). The distribution of elements across cross‐sections of archeological and modern bone have been visualized, and to some extent quantified, in previous studies (Choudhury et al, 2016, 2017; Pemmer et al, 2013; Rasmussen, Milner, Delbey, Skytte, Lynnerup, et al, 2020; Simpson, Varney, et al, 2021; Swanston et al, 2012, 2018; Wittig et al, 2019). The potential of such work is enhanced through GIS procedures that permit the extraction of LA‐ICP‐MS‐generated data associated with specific microstructural features, notably complete and fragmentary osteons (Haversian systems).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

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Mapping bone microstructure trace element composition: Sr, Ba, Cu, and Pb in an early modern Danish skeleton

Milner

Boldsen

et al. 2023

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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Objectives A Geographical Information System (GIS) approach enhances the acquisition, management, and analysis of trace element data from cortical bone. A high‐resolution spatial dimension expands the research potential of Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) data from cortical bone cross‐sections. The chemical characterization of hundreds of osteons, notably sequences of superimposed osteons, permits more exacting studies of individual life histories than is possible with analyses of bulk bone samples. Methods A GIS procedure was used to estimate Sr, Ba, Pb, and Cu concentrations, originally generated through LA‐ICP‐MS, for bone microstructural features, notably fragmentary and intact osteons, in a human femoral cross‐section. The skeleton is from Ribe, Denmark, and dates to the early modern period. Results Postmortem chemical alteration was limited to the bone's outer and inner margins. Two dietary indicators, Sr and Ba, and two socioeconomic indicators, Pb and Cu, measured for individual osteons were correlated with one another. Osteon sequences indicate concentrations of all four elements increased late in life for this individual. Conclusions The application of GIS procedures expedites fine‐grained analyses of variation in the distribution of trace elements in bone microstructure identifiable in cortical bone cross‐sections. It provides an efficient means of extracting the most information possible from LA‐ICP‐MS data about the lives of people in the past. Combining the two procedures makes it easier to track exposure to elements such as Pb across the part of an individual's life represented by osteon sequences.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Mapping bone microstructure trace element composition: Sr, Ba, Cu, and Pb in an early modern Danish skeleton

Milner

Boldsen

et al. 2023

American Journal of Biological Anthropology

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“…Although the influence of diagenetic Pb in archaeological bones cannot be entirely ruled out, recent studies based on mapping the elemental composition of bone show that contamination from the burial environment is typically located at a bone's outer edge [76][77][78]. Proper sample preparation and sampling strategies help to overcome this issue, and in so doing provide reliable results about biogenic Pb from lifetime exposure.…”

Section: Skeletons and Leadmentioning

confidence: 99%

Release of lead from Renaissance lead-glazed ceramics from southern Denmark and northern Germany: implications from acetic acid etching experiments

et al. 2022

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Lead-glazed potsherds from archaeological excavations at six Renaissance (1536–1660 CE) sites in southern Denmark and northern Germany have been subjected to etching experiments using 4 wt% acetic acid. The extracts of 45 sherds were analysed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. At one site, the ducal hunting castle of Grøngaard, Pb levels in acid extracts from glazed dishes were so high (up to 29,000 µg Pb cm−2 day−1) that acute toxic effects likely occurred if the dishes were used for serving food containing vinegar. More moderate acid-etching Pb levels were found in dishes from other sites, but they still exceed the WHO critical level if used daily. Acetic acid etching experiments performed on pipkins (three-legged cooking pots with a handle) yielded somewhat lower Pb extract values, averaging ca. 25 µg Pb cm−2 day−1. Taking into account the widespread use of pipkins for cooking, they might easily have led to a higher weekly Pb intake than the use of the moderate-level dishes. The question remains whether such high levels of Pb exposure during meals led to injurious Pb intake. Prior skeletal analyses have shown that medieval to early modern individuals from the area, especially in towns, were exposed to Pb. While exposure could have come from various sources other than lead-glazed ceramics, such as cosmetics, paint, antibacterial ointments, and lead water pipes, widely distributed lead-glazed ceramics had the potential of being a main source of Pb. How the pottery was actually used is uncertain, and it certainly was not evenly distributed across all segments of society, but the etching experiment results suggest that severe poisonous effects could have resulted from the use of lead-glazed Renaissance ceramics.

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Synchrotron Methods

Radini

Parker

2024

Encyclopedia of Archaeology (Second Edition)

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Insights into biogenic and diagenetic lead exposure in experimentally altered modern and archaeological bone: Synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence imaging

Cited by 5 publications

References 60 publications

Mapping bone microstructure trace element composition: Sr, Ba, Cu, and Pb in an early modern Danish skeleton

Mapping bone microstructure trace element composition: Sr, Ba, Cu, and Pb in an early modern Danish skeleton

Release of lead from Renaissance lead-glazed ceramics from southern Denmark and northern Germany: implications from acetic acid etching experiments

Synchrotron Methods

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