Airborne lead and other elements derived from local fires in the himalayas.

The combustion of wood and yak dung for heating and cooking in a populated Nepal Himalayan valley contributes significantly to the ambient airborne concentrations of lead, copper, aluminum, magnesium, and elemental and organic carbon. A comparison of the concentrations of these elements in fresh snow with corresponding values in air suggests that the pollution aerosol is confined to the valley, with pristine air aloft.