The Lead Content of Human Bones from the 1845 Franklin Expedition

The lead content of bones that were surface scattered about a purported campsite of the 1845 Franklin expedition was measured using a fluorescence excitation technique based on a109Cd radioisotope source. The lead concentrations are considerably greater than values observed in modern populations and the ratio of the lead content in the calcaneus to that in the tibia is greater than that observed in subjects currently exposed occupationally. The …