Distribution patterns of lead in urban soil and dust in Shenyang city, Northeast China

We investigated the spatial distribution of Pb in soil and dust samples collected from 54 sites in Shenyang city, Liaoning province, Northeast China. Soil background Pb concentration was 22 mg kg⁻¹ and control values from non-industrial areas were 33 mg kg⁻¹ for soil and 38 mg kg⁻¹ for dust. Soil Pb concentrations varied widely, ranging from 26 to 2911 mg kg⁻¹, with a mean concentration of 200 mg kg⁻¹, 9 times the background value and 6 times the control value. There was great variation in soil Pb, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 1.06 and a standard deviation (SD) of 212 mg kg⁻¹. Dust Pb concentrations fluctuated from 20 to 2810 mg kg⁻¹, with a mean value of 220 mg kg⁻¹, almost 6 times the control value. No significant differences in distribution were observed between soil Pb and dust Pb. The highest Pb concentration was observed in Tiexi district in an industrial area. Soil Pb concentration decreased with depth and with distance from the pollution source. Lead concentrations initially changed little but then decreased with distance from the roadside, and were generally higher on the east side of roads than on the west. Lead contents in different categories of urban area differed substantially with dust and soil Pb concentrations decreasing in the sequence: industrial >business >mixed (residential, culture and education)> reference areas.     

Garden soil and house dust as exposure media for lead uptake in the mining village of Stratoni,Greece

The relationships between two exposure media, garden soil and house dust, were studied for Pb uptake in Stratoni village in northern Greece, an industrial area of mining and processing of sulphide ore. Lead data for the two media were assessed in terms of total and bioaccessible content, measurement and geochemical variability, and mineralogical composition. It was found that total Pb was enriched in house dust samples by a factor of 2 on average. Total Pb concentration in soil samples had a maximum of 2,040 mg/kg and reached a maximum of 7,000 mg/kg in house dust samples. The estimated variability due to measurement uncertainty was dominated by the sampling process, and the proportion of sampling variance was greater for soil samples, indicating a higher degree of Pb heterogeneity in soil on the given spatial scale of sampling strata. Although the same general spatial trend was observed for both sampling media with decreasing Pb concentration by increasing distance from the ore-processing plant, Pb in dust samples displayed the highest concentrations within a 300–600-m zone from the ore-processing facility. The significant differences which were observed in Pb speciation between the studied media were explained by differences in mineralogical composition of outdoor soil and indoor dust. Lead-enriched Fe and Mn oxides predominated in soil samples while fine galena grains (<10–20 μm diameter) were the major Pb-bearing phase in dust samples. The integrated exposure uptake biokinetic model was used to predict the risk of elevated blood lead levels in children of Stratoni. Model prediction indicated an average probability of 61 % for blood-Pb to exceed 10 μg/dl. The results underline the importance of house dust in risk assessment and highlight the effect of outdoor and indoor conditions on the fate of Pb in the particular environment of Stratoni.     

Geochemistry,mineralogy, solid-phase fractionation and oral bioaccessibility of lead in urban soils of Lisbon

An urban survey of Lisbon, the largest city in Portugal, was carried out to investigate its environmental burden, emphasizing metallic elements and their public health impacts. This paper examines the geochemistry of lead (Pb) and its influence on human health data. A total of 51 soil samples were collected from urban recreational areas used by children to play outdoors. The semi-quantitative analysis of Pb was carried out by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry after an acid digestion. X-ray diffraction was used to characterize the soil mineralogy. The solid-phase distribution of Pb in the urban soils was investigated on a subset of 7 soils, out of a total of 51 samples, using a non-specific sequential extraction method coupled with chemometric analysis. Oral bioaccessibility measurements were obtained using the Unified BARGE Method developed by the Bioaccessibility Research Group of Europe. The objectives of the study are as follows: (1) investigation of Pb solid-phase distribution; (2) interpretation of Pb oral bioaccessibility measurements; (3) integration of metal geochemistry with human health data; and (4) understanding the influence of geochemistry and mineralogy on oral bioaccessibility. The results show that the bioaccessible fraction of Pb is lower when major metal fractions are associated with less soluble soil phases such as Fe oxyhydroxides, and more increased when the metal is in the highly soluble carbonate phase. However, there is some evidence that the proportion of carbonates in the soil environment is also a key control over the oral bioaccessibility of Pb, irrespective of its solid-phase fractionation.     

杭州城市土壤重金属的化学形态及环境效应

通过对杭州城市土壤重金属异常中Hg、Cd、Pb、Zn、Cu采用改进的连续浸提实验进行形态分析结果表明,表层土壤中Hg以残渣态和强有机态为主,Cd以铁锰氧化态、弱有机结合态、残渣态和离子交换态为主,Pb、Zn、Cu以残渣态、弱有机结合态和铁锰氧化态为主.相比之下,Cd与Cu的活性组分分别为最高和次高,部分蔬菜样品中重金属含量超标,对该地区农产品的安全已构成威胁.研究发现,上述重金属除与地质背景、土壤理化性质有关外,与人类经济活动关系尤为密切.     

Lead speciation in indoor dust: a case study to assess old paint contribution in a Canadian urban house

Residents in older homes may experience increased lead (Pb) exposures due to release of lead from interior paints manufactured in past decades, especially pre-1960s. The objective of the study was to determine the speciation of Pb in settled dust from an urban home built during WWII. X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) and micro-X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses were performed on samples of paint (380–2,920 mg Pb kg⁻¹) and dust (200–1,000 mg Pb kg⁻¹) collected prior to renovation. All dust samples exhibited a Pb XANES signature similar to that of Pb found in paint. Bulk XANES and micro-XRD identified Pb species commonly found as white paint pigments (Pb oxide, Pb sulfate, and Pb carbonate) as well as rutile, a titanium-based pigment, in the <150 μm house dust samples. In the dust fraction <36 μm, half of the Pb was associated with the Fe-oxyhydroxides, suggesting additional contribution of outdoor sources to Pb in the finer dust. These results confirm that old paints still contribute to Pb in the settled dust for this 65-year-old home. The Pb speciation also provided a clearer understanding of the Pb bioaccessibility: Pb carbonate > Pb oxide > Pb sulfate. This study underscores the importance of taking precautions to minimize exposures to Pb in house dust, especially in homes where old paint is exposed due to renovations or deterioration of painted surfaces.     

Assessment of bioaccessibility and exposure risk of arsenic and lead in urban soils of Guangzhou City,China

Soil ingestion is an important human exposure pathway of heavy metals in urban environments with heavy metal contaminated soils. This study aims to assess potential health risks of heavy metals in soils sampled from an urban environment where high frequency of human exposure may be present. A bioaccessibility test is used, which is an in vitro gastrointestinal (IVG) test of soluble metals under simulated physiological conditions of the human digestion system. Soil samples for assessing the oral bioaccessibility of arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) were collected from a diverse range of different land uses, including urban parks, roadsides, industrial sites and residential areas in Guangzhou City, China. The soil samples contained a wide range of total As (10.2 to 61.0 mg kg⁻¹) and Pb (38.4 to 348 mg kg⁻¹) concentrations. The bioaccessibility of As and Pb in the soil samples were 11.3 and 39.1% in the stomach phase, and 1.9 and 6.9% in the intestinal phase, respectively. The As and Pb bioaccessibility in the small intestinal phase was significantly lower than those in the gastric phase. Arsenic bioaccessibility was closely influenced by soil pH and organic matter content (r ² = 0.451, p < 0.01) in the stomach phase, and by organic matter, silt and total As contents (r ² = 0.604, p < 0.001) in the intestinal phase. The general risk of As and Pb intake for children from incidental ingestion of soils is low, compared to their maximum doses, without causing negative human health effects. The exposure risk of Pb in the soils ranked in the order of: industrial area/urban parks > residential area/road side. Although the risk of heavy metal exposure from direct ingestion of urban soils is relatively low, the risk of inhalation of fine soil particulates in the air remains to be evaluated.     

Chemical transformations of lead compounds under humid conditions: implications for bioaccessibility

This short communication documents chemical transformations caused by weathering of two Pb compounds that commonly occur in house dust. Chamber experiments were designed to simulate humid indoor environment conditions to determine whether Pb compounds undergo chemical transformations influencing bioaccessibility. Reference compounds of Pb metal (12 % bioaccessibility) and Pb sulfate (14 % bioaccessibility) were subjected to an oxygenated, humidified atmosphere in closed chambers for 4 months. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy were used to characterize the main Pb species, and the change in Pb bioaccessibility was determined using a simulated gastric acid digestion. At the end of the weathering period a small amount of Pb carbonate (9 % of total Pb) appeared in the Pb sulfate sample. Weathering of the Pb metal sample resulted in the formation of two compounds, hydrocerussite (Pb hydroxyl carbonate) and Pb oxide, in significant amounts (each accounted for 26 % of total Pb). The formation of highly bioaccessible Pb carbonate (73 % bioaccessibility), hydrocerussite (76 % bioaccessibility), and Pb oxide (67 % bioaccessibility) during weathering resulted in a measurable increase in the overall Pb bioaccessibility of both samples, which was significant (p = .002) in the case of the Pb metal sample. This study demonstrates that Pb compounds commonly found in indoor dust can ‘age’ into more bioaccessible forms under humid indoor conditions.     

城市地表灰尘颗粒体积分形特征及其吸附性

以地表灰尘颗粒分析数据为基础,运用分形模型,分析了芜湖市高新技术开发区地表灰尘颗粒的分维数.结果表明:19个地表灰尘样品的粒径较粗,粒径的平均值多出现在140～230 gm之间,峰值多出现在200～400 μm之间;分维数为2.5392～2.7408.平均值为2.665 7,pH值为7.97～12.36,平均值为10.22,呈较强的碱性.分维数与pH值之间的相关系数r=-0.221 0,相关性不明显;地表灰尘分维数对吸附性的影响效果不明显.     

Preliminary assessment of surface soil lead concentrations in Melbourne,Australia

Urban soils in many cities have been found to be contaminated with lead from past usage of leaded petrol, deteriorating lead-based exterior paints and industrial sources. Currently, the spatial distribution of soil lead concentrations in the Melbourne metropolitan area is unknown. The objective of this study was to perform a preliminary assessment of the spatial distributions of the surface soil lead (Pb) concentrations in the Melbourne metropolitan area, Australia. Fifty-eight surface soil samples were collected at a depth of 0–2 cm along three linear transects oriented across the Melbourne metropolitan area. Surface soil samples were also collected at a higher density in five Melbourne suburbs. Soil cores (0–50 cm) were collected in four locations, soil transects were collected at intervals with distance away from the roadway (0–50 m) in two inner city parks, and one control soil sample was collected in a rural setting. The median soil Pb concentration of the soil transect samples was 173 mg/kg (range 32–710 mg/kg), and the median soil Pb concentration of the five suburbs was 69 mg/kg (range 9–1750 mg/kg). The suburb of Footscray had the highest soil Pb concentration with a median soil Pb concentration of 192 mg/kg (range 40–1750 mg/kg). Soil Pb concentrations were generally higher nearest the centre of the Melbourne metropolitan area and in the west of Melbourne and lower in the outer suburbs to the east and north of the city centre. Soil Pb concentrations decreased with distance from roadways in the two transects taken from urban parks, and soil lead decreased with depth in the four soil cores. The soil Pb concentrations in the Melbourne metropolitan area appear to be lower than soil lead concentrations observed in inner city areas of Sydney New South Wales (NSW) and Newcastle NSW. The spatial extent of the soil Pb hazard remains undefined in portions of the Melbourne metropolitan area.     

北京城区大气颗粒物与地表土壤金属元素空间关联分析

为研究北京市区大气降尘金属来源及其与表层土壤的关系,在北京市区五环内的典型地段采集落尘与土壤样品。研究中使用电感耦合等离子体原子光谱仪(ICP-AES)测定了9种金属元素Cd、Cu、Zn、Fe、Pb、V、Ti、Mn、Al的质量分数。结果显示,降尘和土壤中Al、Fe两种元素所占比例最大,质量分数分别为16144.8、12881.9μg· g-1和21400.9、815712.2μg· g-1。其次降尘中Zn、Ti和土壤中Ti、Mn居第二位。随后基于灰度关联法对大气降尘与表层土壤的金属元素关系分析可知,大气降尘与表层土壤是高度关联的,关联值均介于0.92~0.95之间,二者间关联较为紧密。其中在空气降尘对表层土壤的影响研究中分析得出,空气降尘对表层土壤的影响与采样点的空间位置变化相关性不强,与风向、风速等自然环境因素的关联度较大。在表层土壤对空气降尘的影响研究中分析得出,表层土壤对空气降尘的影响度随采样点环境变化较大,尤其是北京南站。最后,通过对降尘金属元素进行因子分析得出,第一因子Z1同时与Pb、V、Ti、Mn、Al、Fe、Cu、Cd等元素有较大关系;第二个因子Z2与Cd、Cu等元素有较大的相关性;第三个因子Z3与Zn、Fe等元素有较大相关性,与其它7种元素的相关性不明显。前三因子 Z1、Z2、Z3方差累积贡献率可达97.2%,由此可知,降尘来源主要与风引起的地面扬尘,与塑料制品的焚烧,冶金、化工等工业影响及轮胎磨损有关。     

Characterization,source apportionment and risk assessment of PAHs in urban surface dust in Shenyang city,China

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Characteristics, profile composition, ecological and human health risk of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in surface dust collected from Shenyang city,...     

The relationship between surface dust lead loadings on carpets and the blood lead of young children

The final clean-up of residential lead abatement projects in federally-supported housing, as well as in other housing in a number of states, must meet surface dust lead clearance levels expressed as g of lead per square foot. These clearance levels were established because hand-to-mouth ingestion of lead-contaminated dust is recognised as a major pathway through which many children are exposed. A dilemma exists because many floors in housing undergoing abatement are carpeted and the established clearance levels are generally not recommended for use on carpets. These clearance levels are also used as 'action levels' to determine whether exposure reduction activities are needed. The US Environmental Protection Agency is currently in the process of issuing standards for hazardous levels of lead in interior dust and bare soil under Title X of the Housing and Community Development Act of 1992, The Residential Lead-Based Paint Hazard Reduction Act of 1992. An effort to develop a potential surface dust lead clearance level for carpets was made using an existing vacuum dust collection method that has previously been shown to be a reliable indicator of childhood lead exposure. This method was designed for use on carpeted and non-carpeted surfaces. Using data from the Cincinnati Soil Lead Abatement Demonstration Project, the suggested floor-dust lead level where an estimated 95% of the population of children would be expected to have blood lead values below the national goal of 10 g dL^–1, was more than an order of magnitude lower than the current floor-dust lead clearance level of 1080 g m^–2 (100 g ft^–2). Further comparisons of blood lead and carpet lead levels in other parts of the country should be performed before a risk-based lead loading clearance level is established.     

城市不同功能区内叶面尘与地表灰尘的粒径和重金属特征

在城市粉尘污染研究中,叶面尘与地表灰尘被认为是新的切人点.以南京市不同功能区为例,分别收集了各功能区典型绿化树种的叶面尘与同区域的地表灰尘,采用激光粒径分析仪测定了叶面尘与地表灰尘的粒径分布规律,应用ICP-AES对样品重金属含量进行了测定,并以此为基础,对重金属的生态风险进行了评价,最后分析了叶面尘与地表灰尘所含重金属元素之间的相关性.结果表明,叶面尘与地表灰尘中颗粒物粒径集中分布于100 μm以内,两者粒径累积曲线均呈现正态单峰分布,其中商业区和工业区颗粒物粒径较小.不同功能区重金属含量差异显著,污染水平递减顺序为:商业区、工业区、交通枢纽区、街道复层绿化区、科教生活区.潜在生态危害评价表明,叶面尘的生态危害大于地表灰尘,除科教生活区外,叶面尘在其余四个功能区均产生中等生态危害.重金属Pearson相关分析发现,叶面尘与地表灰尘存在相似来源,即主要来自交通排放、工业污染等人为源.粒径与重金属两方面的研究指示出南京市粉尘污染最严重的是商业区与工业区,这为进一步控制城市粉尘污染提供了有力依据.     

Relative bioaccessibility of Pb-based paint in soil

The threat posed by lead (Pb) in soil for pediatric populations continues to be a public health issue. In long-established residential areas, a principal source of Pb in soil is likely to be old Pb-based paint originating from building surfaces. The health hazard posed by Pb from paint in soil will likely depend on quantity of paint incorporated, its Pb-mineral composition, whether the Pb is locked in some other material and the paint residence time in the soil (degree of aging). Here the relative bioavailability (RBA) of Pb in different types of Pb-bearing paint has been assessed. Tests were performed with individual paints, with paints mixed with a low-Pb soil, and with paints mixed with soil and the biogenic phosphate apatite II. Thirteen Pb-bearing paint samples were ground and passed through 250- and 100-µm screens. Samples nominally <100 µm from all the paints were analyzed, and six of the paints for which there was sufficient material in the 100- to 250-µm-size range were also tested. RBA extraction of Pb employed a simulated gastric fluid (SGF) of HCl and glycine adjusted to a pH of 1.5 in which samples were agitated (in an end-over-end rotator) for 2 h. Original paints were examined by SEM/EDX, and by XRD, residues collected after RBA extraction were examined by SEM/EDX. The concentration of Pb in the extraction fluid was measured by AAS. The quantity of Pb mobilized in each test batch was approximately an order of magnitude less in the paint–soil mix compared to the corresponding paint-only sample. The difference in the amount of Pb extracted from the paint–soil mix compared to the paint–soil–phosphate mix was minimal. However, in the post-RBA residues of the paint–soil mix, a PbCl precipitate was observed, and in the extraction residues of the paint–soil–apatite II mixes PbClP phases were recorded. Precipitation of these secondary phases obviously modified the amount of Pb in the extraction fluid, and this may need to be considered, i.e., under-reporting of extractable Pb, when this form of in vitro extraction is used to determine the RBA of Pb in environmental media.     

Oral bioaccessibility of metals in an urban catchment,Newcastle upon Tyne

The metal content was determined in soils from a former, historic, contaminated land site and now a ‘green’ public open space in N.E. England. Using a systematic sampling grid approach, 32 soil samples were taken from locations across the site and analyzed for six potentially toxic elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn). Initially, the pseudo-total metal content of the soils was determined using acid digestion followed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis. This data was evaluated against published soil guideline value (SGV) and generic assessment criteria (GAC) values; it was found that 21% (i.e., 41 samples) exceeded the stated lower values. The data was then compared to the oral bioaccessibility of the soils, which was assessed by an in-vitro gastrointestinal extraction procedure. The results, determined as the % BAF, indicated that overall bioaccessibility was low (<10% BAF) for all the elements studied; the exception was Cd. Given that SGV/GAC values are based on generic land-use categories and not a public open space, as investigated in this work, further work is recommended on developing a qualitative risk assessment at the site to estimate the risks posed to human health via the direct and indirect soil ingestion pathway.     

Spatial distribution of lead concentrations in urban surface soils of New Orleans, Louisiana USA

Immediately following hurricane Katrina concern was raised over the environmental impact of floodwaters on the city of New Orleans, especially in regard to human health. Several studies were conducted to determine the actual contaminant distribution throughout the city and surrounding wetlands by analyzing soil, sediment, and water for a variety of contaminants including organics, inorganics, and biologics. Preliminary investigations by The Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University concluded that soils and sediments contained pesticides, semi-volatiles, and metals, specifically arsenic, iron, and lead, at concentrations that could pose a significant risk to human health. Additional studies on New Orleans floodwaters revealed similar constituents as well as compounds commonly found in gasoline. More recently, it has been revealed that lead (Pb), arsenic, and vanadium are found intermittently throughout the city at concentrations greater than the human health soil screening levels (HHSSLs) of 400, 22 (non-cancer endpoint) and 390 μg/g, respectively. Of these, Pb appears to present the greatest exposure hazard to humans as a result of its extensive distribution in city soils. In this study, we spatially evaluated Pb concentrations across greater New Orleans surface soils. We established 128 sampling sites throughout New Orleans at approximately half-mile intervals. A soil sample was collected at each site and analyzed for Pb by ICP-AES. Soils from 19 (15%) of the sites had Pb concentrations exceeding the HHSSL threshold of 400 μg/g. It was determined that the highest concentrations of Pb were found in the south and west portions of the city. Pb concentrations found throughout New Orleans in this study were then incorporated into a geographic information system to create a spatial distribution model that can be further used to predict Pb exposure to humans in the city.     

污染土壤中铅、砷的生物可给性研究进展

土壤铅、砷污染已成为重要的环境问题,并可对人体健康造成严重危害。对食物链途径的有效控制使得从口部无意摄入的土壤铅、砷对人体,特别是对儿童铅、砷摄入总量的贡献率越来越大,甚至成为主要来源。土壤中铅、砷直接进入人体的消化系统并可被人体胃肠道溶解出的部分称为其生物可给性。有效、准确地判定土壤中铅、砷的生物可给性已经成为解决儿童铅、砷中毒的关键科学问题。因此,有关土壤中铅、砷的生物可给性及其在人体健康风险评价中的应用受到了越来越多的关注。文章综述了污染土壤中铅、砷生物可给性的研究方法及各方法的优缺点,并从土壤性质、模拟胃肠条件等方面分析了影响土壤中铅、砷生物可给性的主要因素和存在的问题,还进一步论述了土壤中铅、砷生物可给性在人体健康风险评价中的应用。最后,提出了今后该领域应重点加强土壤铅、砷生物可给性的标准参考物、模拟胃肠条件的优化以及土壤铅、砷生物可给性在人体健康风险评价中的应用等方面的研究。以期充分发挥铅、砷等环境污染物的生物可给性研究方法的潜力,更好地为控制土壤污染、保护人类健康服务。     

The relationship between soil geochemistry and the bioaccessibility of trace elements in playground soil

A total of 32 samples of surficial soil were collected from 16 playground areas in Madrid (Spain), in order to investigate the importance of the geochemistry of the soil on subsequent bioaccessibility of trace elements. The in vitro bioaccessibility of As, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn was evaluated by means of two extraction processes that simulate the gastric environment and one that reproduces a gastric?+?intestinal digestion sequence. The results of the in vitro bioaccessibility were compared against aqua regia extractions (“total” concentration), and it was found that total concentrations of As, Cu, Pb and Zn were double those of bioaccessible values, whilst that of Cr was ten times higher. Whereas the results of the gastric?+?intestinal extraction were affected by a high uncertainty, both gastric methods offered very similar and consistent results, with bioaccessibilities following the order: As?=?Cu?=?Pb?=?Zn?>?Co?>?Ni?>?Cr, and ranging from 63 to 7?%. Selected soil properties including pH, organic matter, Fe and CaCO₃ content were determined to assess their influence on trace element bioaccessibility, and it was found that Cu, Pb and Zn were predominantly bound to organic matter and, to a lesser extent, Fe oxides. The former fraction was readily accessible in the gastric solution, whereas Fe oxides seemed to recapture negatively charged chloride complexes of these elements in the gastric solution, lowering their bioaccessibility. The homogeneous pH of the playground soils included in the study does not influence trace element bioaccessibility to any significant extent except for Cr, where the very low gastric accessibility seems to be related to the strongly pH-dependent formation of complexes with organic matter. The results for As, which have been previously described and discussed in detail in Mingot et al. (Chemosphere 84: 1386–1391, 2011), indicate a high gastric bioaccessibility for this element as a consequence of its strong association with calcium carbonate and the ease with which these bonds are broken in the gastric solution. The calculation of risk assessments are therefore dependant on the methodology used and the specific environment they address. This has impacts on management strategies formulated to ensure that the most vulnerable of society, children, can live and play without adverse consequences to their health.