Isotope ratios of lead in Italian wines by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Lead and its isotope ratios (IRs) in 83 Italian wines from 42 different administrative provinces produced on laboratory scale in 2000 were measured by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Lead had a median of 19.0 microg/L, ranging from 10.0 up to 149 microg/L and was higher in the samples from northwestern Italy. The values of the IRs were (mean +/- standard deviation) 1.171 +/- 0.011 for (206)Pb/(207)Pb, 2.071 +/- 0.017 for (208)Pb/(206)Pb, 2.425 +/- 0.014 for (208)Pb/(207)Pb, 17.84 +/- 0.32 for (206)Pb/(204)Pb, 15.24 +/- 0.31 for (207)Pb/(204)Pb, and 37.31 +/- 0.52 for (208)Pb/(204)Pb. These ratios agree with those in the literature for several European regions. (206)Pb/(207)Pb distinguished the northwestern from the northeastern and southern Italian wines, and the southern samples were distinguishable only from the northwestern ones. (208)Pb/(206)Pb distinguished the northwestern from the southern Italian samples. Nevertheless, the lead IRs do not seem to be a very effective tool for the origin authentication of wines from different Italian regions.