Publication Date
2020
Journal or Book Title
Archaeometry
Abstract
A helium‐enabled Niton X‐ray analyser (HHpXRF) study of 296 lava stepping stones from ancient Pompeii showed that their surfaces were contaminated with superficial deposits of Zn and Pb. Recent research has shown that concentrations of these elements are highest in urban areas, where they were attributed to tyre dust and leaded petrol, respectively. The distribution of these elements on the stepping stones is represented on maps of the site. Zn pollution is most abundant in areas visited by tourists and is attributed mostly to wear from their rubber‐soled footwear. Pb pollution is attributed to the movement of onsite vehicles using leaded petrol.
ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6987-322X
DOI
https://publons.com/publon/10.10.1111/arcm.12570
License
UMass Amherst Open Access Policy
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Worthing, Michael; Bosworth, Lloyd; Papandrea, M.; Poehler, Eric E.; Ellis, Steven; and Laurence, Ray, "HHpXRF study of recent zinc and lead pollution on lava stepping stones from Pompeii: Tourist footfall, tyre dust and leaded petrol" (2020). Archaeometry. 4.
https://publons.com/publon/10.10.1111/arcm.12570