Rapid urbanization and industrialization in South China has placed great strain on the environment, particularly in the fast developing Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. In the present study, estuarine and coastal sediments, agricultural soils, aquatic organisms, aerosols and atmospheric deposition samples were collected to study the environmental changes and metal contamination of the region in the last three decades. The samples were analysed for the concentrations of major elements (Al, Fe, Mg and Mn) and trace metals (Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, V and Zn), and for Pb isotopic composition. Elevated concentrations of metals, especially Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn, were observed in sediment, soil, biological and air samples, showing significant heavy metal pollution in the region. The Pb isotopic compositions in different environmental mediums indicated the main inputs of metals from anthropogenic origins in recent years. The Pb isotope signatures of aerosol samples and back trajectory analysis showed the long-range transport of metal contaminants from the northern inland areas of China to the South China coast.

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