Journal article
Lead (Pb) concentrations and speciation in residential soils from an urban community impacted by multiple legacy sources
Journal of hazardous materials, Vol.416, p.125886
08/15/2021
DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125886
PMCID: PMC8666965
PMID: 34492824
Abstract
In many urban areas, elevated soil lead (Pb) concentrations are indicators of community-level Pb exposure. Here, we examine the spatial distribution and speciation of legacy soil Pb contamination in East Chicago, Ind., an industrial center with a wide range of Pb sources including a former lead smelter. In situ X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (n = 358) revealed widespread soil Pb contamination above the Environmental Protection Agency regulatory limit for soils. This soil contamination was heterogenous across all neighborhoods, and mostly uncorrelated with distance from the former smelting site. Soil Pb levels increased with decreasing median household income in East Chicago’s nine neighborhoods (r = −0.73, p = 0.03). Extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (n = 44) indicated that the soil Pb was primarily adsorbed to iron and manganese oxides or humic acids, and as Pb hydroxycarbonate regardless of contamination levels. Crystalline insoluble forms of Pb, like pyromorphite, were not detected in significant concentrations. Thus, the unique chemical forms of potential Pb sources to soil, such as paint, ore and slag are not persistent and instead are extensively repartitioned into acid-soluble forms of Pb with greater bioavailability. These findings have implications for remediation efforts and human health as blood Pb levels in this community are significantly elevated.
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•To date, this is the largest investigation of Pb speciation in residential soils.•Bulk soil Pb concentrations were spatially heterogeneous.•Pb was predominantly adsorbed to Fe oxides, Mn oxides, and as Pb hydroxycarbonate.•Pb speciation was not correlated to bulk concentration or location.•Soil Pb was inversely correlated to household income in East Chicago neighborhoods.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Lead (Pb) concentrations and speciation in residential soils from an urban community impacted by multiple legacy sources
- Creators
- Ezazul Haque - Human Toxicology Program, Graduate College, University of Iowa, USAPeter S Thorne - Human Toxicology Program, Graduate College, University of Iowa, USAAthena A Nghiem - Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USACaryn S Yip - Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, College of Public Health, University of Iowa, USABenjamin C Bostick - Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of hazardous materials, Vol.416, p.125886
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125886
- PMID
- 34492824
- PMCID
- PMC8666965
- NLM abbreviation
- J Hazard Mater
- ISSN
- 0304-3894
- eISSN
- 1873-3336
- Publisher
- Elsevier B.V
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000015, name: US Department of Energy; DOI: 10.13039/100000066, name: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; DOI: 10.13039/100000002, name: National Institutes of Health
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/15/2021
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering; Occupational and Environmental Health; Iowa Superfund Research Program
- Record Identifier
- 9984077779002771
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