Lead In Soil Samples Research Articles

Assessing the multi-dimensional impact of lead-induced toxicity on collembola found in maize fields: From oxidative stress to genetic disruptions

The prolonged exposure of agricultural soils to heavy metals from wastewater, particularly in areas near industrial facilities, poses a significant threat to the well-being of living organisms. The World Health Organization (WHO) has established standard permissible limits for heavy metals in agricultural soils to mitigate potential health hazards. Nevertheless, some agricultural fields continue to be irrigated with wastewater containing industrial effluents. This study aimed to assess the concentration of lead in soil samples collected from agricultural fields near industrial areas. Subsequently, we determined the lethal concentration (LC50) of lead (Pb) and other heavy metals for two Collembola species, namely Folsomia candida, a standard organism for soil ecotoxicity tests, and comparing it with Proisotoma minuta. The research further examined the toxic effects of lead exposure on these two species, revealing depletion in the energy reservoirs and alterations in the tissue histology of both organisms. The study revealed that lead can induce genotoxic damage as it evidently has moderate binding affinity with the ct-DNA and hence can cause DNA fragmentation and the formation of micronuclei. Elevated lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels and protein carbonylation levels were observed, alongside a reduction in antioxidant enzymes (CAT, SOD & GPx). These findings suggest that lead disrupts the balance between oxidants and the antioxidant enzyme system, impairing defense mechanisms and consequential derogatory damage within microarthropods. The investigation elucidates a complex network of various signaling pathways compromised as a result of lead toxicity. Hence, it presents a novel perspective that underscores the pressing necessity for implementing an integrated risk assessment framework at the investigated site.

Adaptation to lead in a Pb/Zn-mine population of Marrubium cuneatum

Marrubium cuneatum is an endemic Iranian plant species, which can be found in lead-contaminated environments. This study aimed to investigate the effects of lead on the growth and germination in two M. cuneatum populations, from metalliferous, Pb-contaminated and uncontaminated soil, respectively. Soil and plant samples of the Tang-e Douzan Pb-Zn mine and Morghab Spring (non-contaminated site) were collected and analysed. Germination and growth were recorded under increasing Pb exposure in the non-metallicolous (NM) and the metallicolous (M) local M. cuneatum populations. Germination percentage (GP), mean germination time (MGT), germination index (GI), healthy plant percentage (HPP), seedling death (SD), fresh weight (FW) and dry weight (DW), were measured. Primary assessments showed toxic levels of lead in soil samples of the Tang-e Douzan mine and in leaves of plants growing at the mine site. Germination experiments showed that the germination parameters were stimulated by low concentrations of Pb in both populations, but inhibited by high concentrations. However, the adverse effects of Pb at high concentrations on GP, GI, and HPP were significantly less in the M population. The mortality of germinating seeds (SD) was consistently associated with fungal infection, which gradually decreased with increasing Pb exposure, but to the same degree in both populations. Growth experiments clearly demonstrated Pb hypertolerance in the M population. In the NM population, seedling growth is more sensitive to excess Pb than seed germination, compared to the M population. The M population has high biomass and a relatively high Pb accumulation in its shoots, which suggests it is a suitable candidate for phyto-extraction of Pb.

Fluorescence biosensor for ultrasensitive detection of the available lead based on target biorecognition-induced DNA cyclic assembly

A fluorescence biosensor was developed for the ultrasensitive detection of the available lead in soil samples by coupling with DNAzyme and hairpin DNA cyclic assembly. The biorecognition between lead and 8-17 DNAzyme will cleave the substrate strands (DNA2) and release the trigger DNA (T), which can be used to initiate the DNA assembly reactions among the hairpins (H1, H2, and H3). The formed Y-shaped sensing scaffold (H1-H2-H3) contains active Mg2+-DNAyzmes at three directions. In the presence of Mg2+, the BHQ and FAM modified H4 will be cleaved by the Mg2+-DNAyzme to generate a high fluorescence signal for lead monitoring. The linear range of the fluorescence biosensor is from 1 pM to 100 nM and the detection limit is 0.2 pM. The biosensor also exhibited high selectivity and the nontarget competing heavy metals did not interfere with the detection results. Compare with the traditional method (DTPA+ICP-MS) for the available lead detection, the relative error (Re) is in the range from −8.3 % to 9.5 %. The results indicated that our constructed fluorescence biosensor is robust, accurate, and reliable, and can be applied directly to the detection of the available lead in soil samples without complex extraction steps.

Geochemical Content of Lead and its Distribution in Soil of Kirkuk City/Northern Iraq

The current study includes determination of the concentrations of lead (Pb) in 18 specimen of Kirkuk city soil (K). Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) technology has been used in the analysis of soil samples in laboratories Acme company in Canada. Results of chemical analysis of samples clarified a rise in average of lead in soil samples (26.11 ppm) compared with international average of soil (10 ppm) and with uncontaminated ones (15 ppm), and rise in its average in surface depth (30.2ppm) compared with the lower depths (17.97ppm), and decreases in its average as compared with local soils in other cities in Iraq. Factor analysis of the geochemical data for the samples above has been conducted and has been shown a presence of affinity and geochemical associations among Pb and both of potassium oxide and phosphorus penta oxide and also some elements such as phosphorus, cadmium, copper and zinc, as well as organic materials. Size analysis of the samples has confirmed that the concentration of Pb increases in the clay fraction in soils, and in a larger quantities than in the silty and sandy fractions. The value of Geoaccumulation index (Igeo) for samples of soil showed that it lies within the medium pollution category to non-pollution. Oxidation - reduction potential and the acidic function have helped to identify the prevailing metallic phase in the soils at the area of study, which is a type of Cerussite.

Multi-isotope calibration for determination of nickel, molybdenum, barium and lead in soil samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

The multi-isotope calibration is a fast and accurate calibration strategy for multi-elemental determination that uses only two solutions, (1) 50% (v v−1) sample plus 50% (v v−1) analytical blank solution, and (2) 50% (v v−1) sample plus 50% (v v−1) standard solution (containing the analytes). The concentration of the analytes was calculated from the slope and the concentrations of the standards were added to solution 2. The validation of the method was evaluated using five standard reference materials of soils. The conventional internal standardization was also evaluated for comparative purpose. Low limits of quantifications and good linearity for calibration curves were achieved for all the evaluated elements. The values were 0.022, 0.026, 0.019, and 0.017 µg L−1 for Ni, Mo, Ba, and Pb, respectively.

Electrochemical determination of the levels of lead and cadmium in soil samples from Niger and Ogun States, Nigeria: remediation potential with chitosan phosphate and implications for human health and disease

Lead and cadmium poisoning is common in some parts of Nigeria as a result of artisanal mining of gold. The poisoning has led to the deaths of hundreds of women and children below the age of five years. In this study, the concentrations of lead and cadmium in eight soil samples collected from selected artisanal gold mining locations in Niger State and battery dismantling site in Ogun State were electrochemically determined. Linear sweep stripping voltammetry technique was used with glassy carbon as working electrode, Ag/AgCl as reference and platinum as auxiliary electrode. The cathodic peak current for the reduction of lead was observed at − 490 mV while that of cadmium was observed at − 675 mV. The concentrations of lead in the soil samples ranged between 19 and 417 mg/kg while that of cadmium was in the range 20–182 mg/kg. The ability of chitosan phosphate to adsorb lead and cadmium in the polluted soil samples was investigated as a step towards carrying out remediation of the polluted environment. Chitosan phosphate was derived from chitosan which was prepared by the deacetylation of chitin obtained from crab. The chitosan phosphate was found to remove the lead and cadmium from all the soil samples studied.

ГЕОЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКАЯ ОЦЕНКА СОВРЕМЕННОГО СОДЕРЖАНИЯ СВИНЦА В ПОЧВЕННОМ ПОКРОВЕ УРБАНИЗИРОВАННЫХ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ НИЖНЕГО ПОВОЛЖЬЯ

The relevance of the work lies in the study of the process of pollution of the soil cover of an urbanized area with heavy metals. The aim of the work was to study the modern process of soil pollution in the city of Astrakhan with lead. The main task of the work was to determine the degree of exceeding the hygienic standards of the maximum permissible concentration of lead in soil samples. The work involved the methods of geographical and ecological research. The collection of soil samples was carried out, followed by determination in a certified laboratory of the concentration of a substance in each of the soil samples. In the course of the work, the indicators of exceeding the maximum permissible concentration of lead in the soil of Astrakhan were determined and the presumptive sources of pollution were identified. Under the conditions of the urban environment, under the influence of anthropogenic and technogenic processes, a significant change in the composition of the soil cover occurs. One of the processes that significantly affect the soil cover of the city is the process of soil pollution with heavy metals. The term heavy metals, as a rule, means metals (lead, zinc, chromium, mercury and others) that are found in various components of the natural environment and systems of anthropogenic and technogenic origin. Heavy metals are bio-chemically active and highly toxic. These substances are characterized by the ability to accumulate in the body of living beings and have a negative effect on them. The concentration of heavy metals in the soil of an urbanized area poses a significant danger to the urban population. The process of pollution of the soil cover of the city with heavy metals is associated with a large number of technogenic sources, which include energy and industrial facilities, systems for providing the city's infrastructure, zones of construction activities and storage of materials or waste. Lead «Plumbum - Pb» is one of the main pollutants of urban soil with highly toxic properties and belonging to the group of heavy metals. The article describes the results of a study of the current lead content in the soil of the city of Astrakhan conducted in 2020.

Analysis of lead and copper in soil samples by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy under external magnetic field

The purpose of the present study was to improve the detection limits of copper and lead in the soil samples by coupling Laser-Induced Plasma Spectrometry (LIPS) with an external magnetic field. The laser-induced plasma was generated using an Nd:YAG laser (532 nm) and the emission spectra were registered using a set of four spectrometers covering the wavelength region from 250 to 870 nm. The application of external magnetic field (0.7 T) perpendicular to the propagation of the plasma plume increases the plasma temperature, electron density, and plasma emission intensity. This enhancement in the plasma parameters is attributed to the plasma confinement. The detection limit of Pb and Cu has been improved from 12 ppm to 4.1 ppm and from 3.9 ppm to 1.4 ppm by applying magnetic field. The plasma temperature and electron number density decays slowly along the plasma expansion axis in the presence of external magnetic field.

Lead identification in soil surrounding a used lead acid battery smelter area in Banten, Indonesia

A used lead acid battery smelter generates particulates containing lead that can contaminate the surrounding environment area. Lead is a heavy metal which is harmful to health if it enters the human body through soil, air, or water. An identification of lead in soil samples surrounding formal and informal used lead acid battery smelters area in Banten, Indonesia using EDXRF has been carried out. The EDXRF accuracy and precision evaluated from marine sediment IAEA 457 gave a good agreement to the certified value. A number of 16 soil samples from formal and informal areas and 2 soil samples from control area were taken from surface and subsurface soils. The highest lead concentrations from both lead smelter were approximately 9 folds and 11 folds higher than the reference and control samples. The assessment of lead contamination in soils described in Cf index was in category: moderately and strongly polluted by lead for formal and informal lead smelter. Daily lead intake of children in this study from all sites had exceeded the recommended dietary allowance. The HI values for adults and children living near both lead smelter areas were greater than the value of safety threshold 1. This study finding confirmed that there is a potential health risk for inhabitants surrounding the used lead acid battery smelter areas in Banten, Indonesia.

Lead Contamination and Pollution Indexes in Roadside Soil in Tehran, Iran

Background and purpose: In the process of rapid urbanization and industrialization in developing countries, environmental pollution is a major concern. One of the fastest growing problems of environmental pollution is an excessive intake of lead in urban soils. Lead concentrations in urban soil may result from human activities such as vehicle emissions and industrial activities. This study aimed to determine of lead contents in roadside soil samples in Tehran city, Iran. Materials and Methods: One of Tehran municipality’s subsections was selected for the collection of 21 samples from seven stations along a main urban highway. In this study, samples were taken over a period of 3-month in the dry season. Sampling was performed in the order of 100 m long, perpendicular to the roadside at 0, 50, and 100 m from the road. Lab measurements were performed on the physical and chemical properties of samples. The extraction was performed using four kinds of acids (HCL, HNO3, HF, and HCLO4). Results: Lead concentrations were measured by a spectrophotometer with an average concentration of lead in soil samples of roadsides standing at 112.21 part a million (PPM), and the average lead bio-accessibility at 14.19 PPM. Conclusion: Lead concentrations showed a linear decrement in proportion to the distance from center line of the road. Human cultural activities were sources of lead pollution by examine soil contamination indexes. [Yousefi M, *Ehteshami M, Sadrnejad SA. Lead Contamination and Pollution Indexes in Roadside Soil in Tehran, Iran. Iran J Health Sci 2015; 3(4): 8-23] http://jhs.mazums.ac.ir

Bioavailable Lead in Topsoil Collected from General Aviation Airports

Representatives of the aviation community are interested in determining the environmental effects of leaded fuel emissions from general aviation flight operations. Soil is an environmental sink for lead to accumulate over time. This study measured bioavailable lead concentrations in topsoil at three general aviation airports and at one site with no general aviation operations in order to determine if general aviation aircraft operations are contributing to the contamination of airport topsoil at levels that require remediation by law. Bioavailable refers to substances that organisms can absorb, because they have access to them. Topsoil was collected from refueling areas, run-up areas, and approach corridor/departure end runways. The samples were dried and the fine fractions were separated. The fine fractions were suspended in nitric acid to extract the lead for laboratory analysis. A univariate ANOVA was computed comparing the quantity of soluble lead in the topsoil from three general aviation airports (further classified as high, moderate, and low volume of flight operations) and at one site with no general aviation operations (arboretum). A significant main effect for the high volume airport was found (F[2, 24] = 10.966, p .05). However, an interaction was observed when comparisons were made between the airport sites (n = 3) and locations sampled at the sites (n = 3) that was significant (F[4, 24] = 2.902, p < .05). Tukey’s HSD was used to determine the nature of the differences. The analysis revealed that concentrations of lead in soil samples collected from the high volume airport refueling area, run-up area, and approach corridor/departure end runway were significantly lower than the moderate volume airport run-up area lead concentrations. The results at the three airports investigated support the conclusions that the risk of ingesting lead from surface soils is low and bioavailable lead in the soil sampled from general aviation airports is not accumulating in quantities that require remediation according to Environmental Protection Agency requirements.

Magnetic, geo-electric, and groundwater and soil quality analysis over a landfill from a lead smelter, Cairo, Egypt

Abstract A detailed ground magnetic survey, geoelectric vertical electric sounding (VES), and groundwater and soil quality analysis were conducted in the area of the abandoned landfill of the Awadallah lead (Pb) smelter, northeastern Cairo, Egypt. The integration between the applied techniques located successfully the buried solid waste, demarcated the groundwater and its possible contamination, and determined the lead level in soil. Magnetic survey comprised 50 magnetic profiles each 190 m length. Vertical derivatives, wavelength filters, and continuation filters characterized the eastern and central parts of the landfill by high intense magnetic anomalies reflecting metal and lead wastes, whereas the western part was characterized by low intense anomalies indicating change in the landfill composition to non-magnetized material. The geoelectric survey comprised 16 VES with a maximum AB/2 of 100 m. The inverted data demarcated effectively the groundwater aquifer with depth ranged from 11 to 18 m and true resistivities ranged from 96 to 118 Ω·m. The second layer (Holocene-Q3) of semi-permeable silty and sandy clay cap (true resistivities 29 ~ 51 Ω·m and thickness 9–17 m) constituted a considerable role in limiting the possible contamination from the landfill. The analyzed groundwater parameters pH, E h , TDS, SEC, and DO indicated a good water quality with homogenous aquifer characteristics, whereas the lead concentration in groundwater (0.033–0.036 mg/L) was slightly exceeding the safe limits identified by the U.S. EPA (≤ 0.015 mg/L). Lead in soil samples revealed elevated concentrations (3130 mg/L/kg at VES-3) around the Awadallah smelter, whereas a gradual decrease in concentrations was recorded in the northwestern direction.

The relationship between mental retardation and developmental delays in children and the levels of arsenic, mercury and lead in soil samples taken near their mother’s residence during pregnancy

This study was designed to evaluate the association between lead, mercury, and arsenic in the soil near maternal residences during pregnancy and mental retardation or developmental disability (MR/DD) in children. The study was conducted using 6,048 mothers who did not move throughout their pregnancies and lived within six strips of land in South Carolina and were insured by Medicaid between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2002. The mother child pairs were then followed until June 1, 2008, through their Medicaid reimbursement files, to identify children diagnosed with MR/DD. The soil was sampled for mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and As based on a uniform grid, and the soil concentrations were Kriged to estimate chemical concentration at individual locations. We identified a significant relationship between MR/DD and As, and the form of the relationship was nonlinear, after controlling for other known risk factors.

Lead Concentration Levels in the Soil of a Mining Town

ISEE-890 Objective: To determine the lead concentration in soil samples of Vetagrande. Material and Methods: Eighty-nine soil samples were analyzed, using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence, to measure the Pb concentrations; sampling sites were located mainly inside the town. Results: The concentration of lead in soil samples were from 8 to 7730 μg/g, 28.1% of soil samples have less than 400 μg/g, while 71.9% is above 400 μg/g which is the maximum level recommended by EPA for residential use of soil. Conclusions: More than 50% of the soil samples have lead concentration beyond the limit values defined by the US EPA recommendation, for the soil to be used for residential purposes.

Speciation and Vertical Distribution of Lead and Lead Shot in Soil at a Recreational Firing Range

In this study, the speciation, vertical distribution and soil particle size fractions of lead in soil samples at a recreational firing range was determined. This study was performed to gain a better understanding of how lead shot breaks down at ranges. Both the chemical form of lead and the types of soil particles with which lead is associated are important for understanding not only the mobility and persistence, but also the human and ecological impact of lead at these ranges. Lead as shot gun pellets was found to be the dominant form of lead in soil samples. The highest levels were measured in surface samples located in the “fall zone” of the range. Results indicate shot to be relatively absent below surficial samples. Lead concentrations in soil decreased markedly across a 0–6″ depth profile. Lead carbonates were the dominant non-shot form of lead present at all depths. Water-soluble lead species made up a minor fraction of the non-shot lead present in the samples. Based on soil particle sizes measured, highest concentrations of lead were measured in soil particles passing a 0.075 mm sieve.

Solid phase extraction vis-à-vis coprecipitation preconcentration of cadmium and lead from soils onto 5,7-dibromoquinoline-8-ol embedded benzophenone and determination by FAAS

This article compares the solid phase extraction (SPE) and coprecipitative preconcentration of cadmium and lead from dilute aqueous solutions as a function of pH and weight of chelating agent. SPE enriches cadmium and lead over a wider pH range (6.0–8.0) and requires lower weight of DBQ chelate embedded benzophenone. Among the quinoline-8-ol and its dihaloderivatives, DBQ embedded benzophenone allows quantitative enrichment over a wide pH range (6.0–8.0) for both cadmium and lead unlike DCQ (∼6.5 for Cd and 6.5–7.0 for Pb), DBQ was preferred. The calibration plots were rectilinear over the concentration range of 0.1–50 and 2.5–200 μg l −1 of cadmium and lead with detection limits of 0.1 and 2.0 μg l −1, respectively, which are 400 times lower than the direct FAAS method. The precision of the developed procedure is good as it provides relative standard deviation values of 2.20 and 2.45% during five replicate determinations of 2 and 25 μg l −1 of cadmium and lead, respectively. The accuracy of the developed procedure was tested by analyzing certified reference materials (CRM's) of soil and marine sediment samples supplied by IAEA, Italy and NRC, Canada, respectively. Furthermore, the developed procedure has been successfully used for the speciative determination of cadmium and lead in soil samples collected from the vicinity of industries in India.

Field Sampling with a FP‐XRF: A Real‐World Lab Experience

A field sampling laboratory experiment was developed so students would gain experience sampling on a field site and have an introduction to XRF spectrometry. The experiment used a rented field portable XRF instrument (FP‐XRF) to quantify the lead in soil samples collected adjacent to an urban highway and explored aspects of the USEPA Method 6200. Rainy weather conditions eliminated the possibility to record spectra in the field, so sample preparation procedures were modified to model the typical in situ and intrusive mode of spectral investigations stated in the method. The lead content in the soil samples collected at 15 ft from the highway were determined to be greater than 2000 ppm. The soil lead content decreases as the distance perpendicular to the highway increases. The site background sample collected from 300 ft away is nearly equal to the instrumental lead detection limit of 20 ppm. The experiment demonstrated the need to collect replicate spectral data for in situ sampling and that sample homogenization is a critical step in the intrusive sample analysis mode.

Characterization of Lead in Soils of a Rifle/Pistol Shooting Range in Central Florida, USA

The distribution of lead in soil samples collected from both surface (0 to 10 cm) and profile (O 0 to 10 cm, E 11 to 30 cm, Eb 31 to 50 cm, Bw 51 to 100 cm, and C 181 to 200 cm) at a 14-year-old rifle/pistol shooting range located in central Florida were determined using EPA Method 3051a (microwave, HNO3/HCl=3:1, v/v). In addition to total lead analysis, Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) analysis was performed on corresponding samples to determine whether the soils would require special handling as hazardous waste if the soils were to be removed from the range. Total lead in surface soils varied from 330 to 17 850 mg Pb kg−1, with the greatest concentration in the middle of the backstop berm. The TCLP tests indicated that lead in all surface soils exceeded the 5 mg Pb L−1 critical level of federal regulation for solid wastes and hazardous wastes provided by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and would be characterized as hazardous waste. Sequential fractionation and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses revealed that lead carbonate existed predominantly (91.3%) in the berm soil. The weathering of lead bullets in the soil environments formed primarily as hydrocerussite (Pb3(CO3)2(OH)2), with small amounts of massicot (PbO) and cerussite (PbCO3). However, the elevated soil pH, caused by the oxidization and transformation process of elemental lead in lead bullets, could be a significant factor in limiting the migration of lead in the soil.

Optimal balanced measurement designs when errors are correlated

We consider situations in which some characteristic is to be measured on each of several specimens. For instance, the characteristic may be the concentration of lead in soil samples and a laboratory may routinely analyze samples from different customers. A measuring device is used to obtain the responses and the measurement errors generally exhibit serial correlation and/or drift. To help adjust the instrument readings for this serial correlation, standards are interspersed among the specimens at appropriate intervals. In this paper we present the results of an investigation of balanced measurement designs that minimize the uncertainty in the adjusted measurements under an AR(1) error structure. Examples are given to illustrate the results.

Determination of cadmium, mercury and lead in soil samples by slurry sampling electrothermal vaporization inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Ultrasonic slurry sampling electrothermal vaporization isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (USS–ETV–ID–ICP-MS) was applied to the determination of Cd, Hg and Pb in several soil samples. Palladium was used as the modifier. Since the sensitivities of the elements studied in soil slurry and aqueous solution were different, the isotope dilution method was used for the determination of Cd, Hg and Pb in selected soil samples. The influences of instrument operating conditions, slurry preparation and interferences on the ion signals and the accuracy and precision of isotope ratio determinations were reported. The isotope ratios of each element were calculated from the peak areas of each injection peak. The precision of the isotope ratio determinations was better than 4%. This method was applied to the determination of Cd, Hg and Pb in NIST SRM 2711 Montana soil reference material and several soil samples collected from the Kaohsiung area. The results for the reference sample NIST SRM 2711 Montana Soil agreed satisfactorily with the certified values. Results for other samples analysed by the isotope dilution method and the method of standard additions agreed satisfactorily. The precision was better than 5% and the accuracy was better than 2% with the USS–ETV–ID–ICP-MS method. Detection limits estimated from standard addition curves were in the ranges 4–24, 2–19 and 5–76 ng g–1 for Cd, Hg and Pb, respectively, in different samples.