20.500.12556/DiRROS-24781 Revealing long-term anthropogenic influence on ▫$PM_{10}$▫ through lead isotope signatures in a post-mining region This study investigated long-term anthropogenic contributions to airborne particulate matter (PM10) in the Upper Meža Valley, Slovenia, a region historically affected by ore mining, smelting, and, more recently, secondary Pb production. PM10 samples collected at five locations in the summer and autumn of 2018 and at one location in the spring and summer of 2021 were analysed for elemental composition and Pb isotope ratios to identify and quantify pollution sources. Elevated concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cd, and As were observed across all sites, with minimal temporal variations. Enrichment factor (EF) analysis indicated lower EF values for Zn and As, suggesting a primarily crustal origin. Conversely, higher EF values for Cd and Pb pointed to mixed crustal and anthropogenic sources. The proportion of PM10 samples with high Pb enrichment increased from 9.09 % in 2018 to 20.5 % in 2021, indicating a rising influence of anthropogenic emissions. This study represents the first application of Pb isotope composition and a two-endmember mixing model for detailed source apportionment of PM10 in the region. The Pb isotope ratios of PM10 samples fell between local geogenic background and known anthropogenic sources, with anthropogenic contributions accounting for 55.8 %–69.3 % of total Pb in PM10. These findings have important implications for local environmental management, as they can support targeted mitigation strategies, which are critical for public health protection. lead isotopes air pollution airborne particulate matter source apportionment potentially toxic elements post-mining region svinčevi izotopi onesnaženost zraka delci v zraku potencialno strupene snovi nekdanje rudarske regije true false true Elsevier Nizozemska Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Zgornja Mežiška dolina (Slovenija); © 2025 The Authors. Neznano 2025-12-18 10:56:14 2025-12-18 10:56:15 2025-12-20 04:07:11 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 Nasl. z nasl. zaslona; Soavtorice: Judita Burger, Irena Kranjc, Janja Turšič, Tea Zuliani; Opis vira z dne 16. 12. 2025; str. 1-12 Vol. 366, [article no.] 121666 Jan. 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 2025-06-18 2025-11-08 2025-11-10 502/504 1873-2844 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121666 261560835 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231025006417?via%3Dihub 1 d2237584-dbf7-11f0-94a7-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=37051 RAZ_Zerdoner_Tjasa_2026.pdf RAZ_Zerdoner_Tjasa_2026.pdf 1 0AFB70C91F8B05050726778BC7167996 65ab097e1feeec4fce31d0daf065190371b6b52b2c2752fa93ccadc42c6c65a6 5e95eb53-dbf8-11f0-94a7-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=37052 Institut Jožef Stefan 0 0 0