A total of 98 bloods and 42 urines were collected to estimate 14 heavy metals and lead isotopic ratio in adults from Chengdu using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The geometric mean concentrations (GMs) of the heavy metals in the whole blood of urban adults are in the range of 0.01 to 3 129.06 μg/g cholesterol, and n.d. to 275.26 μg/g urinary creatinine in the urine of adults from rural area, while the GMs of the heavy metals in the whole blood of rural adults are in the range of 0.02 to 3353.58 μg/g cholesterol. No significant correlation is found in heavy metal concentration between urban blood and urine, but there is a certain correlation among the heavy metals in the same medium. The concentrations of Cd, Pb, Sr, Tl, Co, Cu, Ni, V and Zn in the blood of urban and rural adults are significantly different (P0.05). Diet is an important source of heavy metals in the urban and rural blood, and urban heavy metal sources include coal burning, alloy manufacturing and transportation activities, while rural sources contain the mining of ore, the use of pesticides, fertilizers, paints, etc. Generally, the four lead isotopes are in the order of 208Pb, 206Pb, 207Pb, and 204Pb.
