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 (I) over cap le-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 mu g/g Pb, geometric mean) compared to other honey from central Paris (0.008 mu g/g), prefire Paris (0.009 mu g/g), and the Rhone-Alpes region (0.004 mu g/g). The Pb isotopic range for all analyzed honey (Paris and Rh (o) over cap ne-Alpes, 1.144-1.179 Pb-206/Pb-207, 2.079-2.125 Pb-208/Pb-206) 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.