A compilation of data on lead 210 concentration in surface air and fluxes at the air-surface and water-sediment interfaces

A Pb-210 database has recently been constructed and is now available. This base includes approximately 800 Pb-210 measurements of concentration in air at the Earth's surface, together with deposition flux both at the atmosphere-Earth and water-sediment interfaces. Here the data are analyzed and summarized. The atmospheric data (concentration and deposition flux) are presented for the different geographical areas when sufficient measurements are available. The trends are discussed in terms of mechanisms (sources, atmospheric circulation, and climate]. Water-sediment data are classified into four types of water reservoirs which differ in their sedimentation mechanisms or in their in situ Pb-210 production. The corresponding histograms are compared with the air-surface flux histogram. This database points out the complete lack of information in some large areas of the planet.