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Soil lead (Pb) in residential transects through Lubbock, Texas: a preliminary assessment

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Abstract

Residential lead (Pb) contamination, resulting from decades-long use of leaded gasoline and lead-based paint, is likely to be present in soils in most urban areas. A screening level sampling effort demonstrated that Lubbock, Texas, USA, like other cities of its age and size, has areas of elevated soil Pb. This effort was based on soil sampling performed on residential, commercial and thoroughfare properties. The focus of this study was to investigate that component of soil contamination due to combustion of leaded gasoline. Soils were collected from the 1–2 cm surface layer from street-side property borders, well away from buildings that might lead to soil contamination from leaded paint chips. All samples were analyzed for Pb after a 1 M HNO3 mild extraction to determine the amount of bioavailable Pb. Two of three transects through the city demonstrated significant trends of decreasing Pb concentrations with distance from the city center, paralleling a decrease in developed property age. Peak soil Pb concentrations outside city development was 4.9 ± 0.6 mg/kg while the median concentration for the city was 35.4 mg/kg. Peak soil Pb concentrations in the city center ranged from 90.0 to 174.0 mg/kg and decreased exponentially to 6.0–9.0 mg/kg at the furthest terminus of the residential transects.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) grant through the Undergraduate Biological Sciences Education Program to Texas Tech University as well as a Xavier University of Louisiana Special Sabbatical Program sponsorship through the Office of Grants and Special Programs of HHMI. Support was also provided by The Institute of Environmental and Human Health at Texas Tech University. The authors would also like to thank Dr. Tuajuanda Jordan (HHMI) and Dr. Lou Densmore (Biological Sciences/TTU) for additional funding and support during this research effort, Hannah Brown for field assistance, Dr. Stephen Cox for statistical support, and two anonymous reviewers for helping improve the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Toxicology, The Institute of Environmental and Human Health, Texas Tech University, Box 41163, Lubbock, TX, 79409-1163, USA

    Ray W. Brown, Michael J. Hooper & Tobias J. McBride

  2. College of Pharmacy, Xavier University of Louisiana, 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70125, USA

    Chris Gonzales

  3. Biology Department, Austin College, 900 N. Grand Ave., Sherman, TX, 75090-4400, USA

    Andrew C. Bayat

  4. Department of Biology, Xavier University of Louisiana, 1 Drexel Drive, New Orleans, LA, 70125, USA

    Ashley M. Fornerette

  5. Center for Public Service, Texas Tech University, Box 1015, Lubbock, TX, 79409-1015, USA

    Thomas Longoria

  6. Bioenvironmental Research, Tulane University, Health and Environmental Research Bldg, 1430 Tulane Avenue, SL-3, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA

    Howard W. Mielke

Authors
  1. Ray W. Brown
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  2. Chris Gonzales
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  3. Michael J. Hooper
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  4. Andrew C. Bayat
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  5. Ashley M. Fornerette
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  6. Tobias J. McBride
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  7. Thomas Longoria
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  8. Howard W. Mielke
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Correspondence to Ray W. Brown.

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Brown, R.W., Gonzales, C., Hooper, M.J. et al. Soil lead (Pb) in residential transects through Lubbock, Texas: a preliminary assessment. Environ Geochem Health 30, 541–547 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-008-9180-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-008-9180-y

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