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An investigation of lead chromate (crocoite-PbCrO4) and other inorganic pigments in aged traffic paint samples from Hamilton, Ohio: implications for lead in the environment

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Abstract

Traffic paint samples collected from roads in the City of Hamilton, Butler County, OH, USA were investigated to determine whether or not pigments are hazardous and are of environmental concern. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicate that white and gray paint samples are dominated by calcite, rutile, anatase and quartz and blue traffic paint samples are dominated by calcite and barite. XRD and SEM indicate that most yellow traffic paints have lead chromate (crocoite-PbCrO4) with common particle sizes that are typically 125–350 nm in length and 75–200 nm in width. Larger aggregates of several micrometers in diameter are also observed. The solubility of PbCrO4 (1.34 × 10−7 mol/L at 25 °C) combined with an increase in solubility with exposure to 0.05–0.25 M NaCl and CaCl2 road treatments solutions as demonstrated by basic batch experiments likely makes PbCrO4 from traffic paint a potential source for lead pollution in surface water and groundwater that is not fully recognized.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Richard Edelmann and Mr. Matt Duley of Miami University’s center for advanced microcopy and imaging for general assistance and Dr. John Morton of Miami University’ Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science department for assistance in ICP-OES work. We thank Randy Davis of the Ohio Department of Transportation and Scott Hoover of the City of Hamilton Transportation & Traffic Engineering Division for informative discussion. We also thank Erin LeGalley for helpful discussion. This work was supported in part by a start up grant from Miami University-Hamilton and by Miami University’s First Year Research Experience (FYRE) program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science, Miami University-Hamilton, Hamilton, OH, 45011, USA

    Katherine White, Teresa Detherage & Mark P. S. Krekeler

  2. Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Science, Miami University, Oxford, OH, 45056, USA

    Maxwell Verellen & Jennifer Tully

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  1. Katherine White
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  2. Teresa Detherage
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Correspondence to Mark P. S. Krekeler.

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White, K., Detherage, T., Verellen, M. et al. An investigation of lead chromate (crocoite-PbCrO4) and other inorganic pigments in aged traffic paint samples from Hamilton, Ohio: implications for lead in the environment. Environ Earth Sci 71, 3517–3528 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-013-2741-0

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