Measurements of lead concentrations and isotope ratios of moss and lichens from Portland, Oregon, U.S., and surrounding rural areas

<p>We conducted a high-resolution study of lead in an urban moss, <em>Orthotrichum lyellii,</em> to better understand lead distributions and sources in Portland, Oregon, United States. The goal of this study was to identify modern and persistent legacy urban lead sources. This included an investigation of the impact of relic lead-sheathed telecommunication cables on environmental lead levels. Here we present lead levels and isotopic compositions of (1) moss samples collected from Portland in 2013, (2) moss samples collected 10 years later in 2023 for proximity to lead-sheathed telecommunication cables, (3) archival moss and lichen samples, and (4) rural moss samples. The findings of this study and methods can be found in the linked primary article.</p>