Zinc is an important
trace element pollutant in urban environments;
however, the extent of Zn contamination and the sources of urban Zn
pollution are often unclear. We measured Zn concentrations and isotopes
in sediment cores collected from eight lakes or reservoirs across
the United States. We paired these data with historical records of
land use within each watershed to calculate a mean Zn concentration
and δ<sup>66</sup>Zn for natural (less than 5% urban land use;
123 ± 21.7 mg/kg; +0.33 ± 0.08‰, <i>n</i> = 6 lakes) and urban (greater than 70% urban land use; 389 ±
200 mg/kg; +0.14 ± 0.07‰, <i>n</i> = 3 lakes)
lake sediments. The relation between Zn concentration data and Zn
isotope data allows us to create a mixing model between two end members:
natural and urban. The δ<sup>66</sup>Zn of the urban end-member
is consistent with Zn pollution from vehicle-related sources (tire
wear and emissions). Application of this model to samples collected
from lakes recording periods ranging from 5 to 70% urban land use
in their surrounding watersheds indicates that the lakes and reservoirs
were affected by large amounts of Zn from urban sources