Lead concentrations in bones and soil

Lead concentrations were measured in 41 rib samples from the Romano-British cemetery at Poundbury and in two sets of soil samples from the graves yielding up the bones. The levels of lead in the soil were in no way exceptional (means for the two series were 16·7 and 24·8 μg/g dry weight) and there was no correlation between soil lead and bone lead concentrations.Since bone lead concentrations vary independently of those in the soil, it is unlikely that the bones are contaminated by lead in the soil, at least under the conditions prevailing at this particular site.