Abstract
Concentrations of organolead compounds determined in air, water, biological and other environmental samples are reviewed, together with the results of laboratory studies into the environmental chemistry of these species. Particular emphasis is placed on recent investigations which have employed species-specific gas chromatography/atomic absorption spectroscopy (GC/AAS) for analysis. Ionic alkyllead species (R sub(3)Pb super(+) and R sub(2)Pb super(2+)) are found to be fairly persistent intermediates in the environmental decomposition of tetraalkylead (R sub(4)Pb) compounds.