Honey Maps the Pb Fallout from the 2019 Fire at Notre-Dame Cathedral, Paris: A Geochemical Perspective

The fire at Notre-Dame cathedral,
Paris, in April 2019, was an
acute pollution event, releasing lead (Pb)-rich dust into the city.
To assess Pb distribution, honey samples (n = 36)
were collected (in July 2019) from hives throughout the Île-de-France
following the fire and were analyzed for a suite of metal concentrations
and Pb isotopic compositions. Honey from hives downwind of the fire
has elevated Pb concentrations (0.023 μg/g Pb, geometric mean)
compared to other honey from central Paris (0.008 μg/g), prefire
Paris (0.009 μg/g), and the Rhône-Alpes region (0.004
μg/g). The Pb isotopic range for all analyzed honey (Paris and
Rhône-Alpes, 1.144–1.179 206Pb/207Pb, 2.079–2.125 208Pb/206Pb) falls within
the modern Pb isotopic range for French aerosols and sediments, signifying
that the fire did not perturb the isotopic composition of Parisian
honey. The variations in downwind Pb concentrations demonstrate the
utility of honey as a biomonitor after an acute pollution event. The
isotope results are supported by the construction history of Notre-Dame
cathedral and historical record of Pb ores used throughout France.