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Effects of Soil Property and Soil Amendment on Weathering of Abraded Metallic Pb in Shooting Ranges

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Abstract

Weathering of abraded metallic Pb from bullets is a significant source of Pb contamination in shooting range soils. Weathering studies were performed using metallic Pb powder to simulate the fine-size fraction of metallic Pb found in shooting range soils. The effects of soil properties (moisture, organic matter-[OM] and pH) on weathering of abraded metallic Pb were examined by incubating a typical Florida soil for 5 to 12 days at 100% or 80% field capacity (FC) after spiking with 5% metallic Pb, after removal of soil OM at 100% FC, and after adjusting the soil pH to 4.8, 6.1 or 8.5 at 100% FC. The weathering products were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD). Transformation of metallic Pb to secondary Pb-minerals was more rapid at 100% FC, in the presence of OM, and at lower pH. While little transformation of Pb occurred in the absence of soil OM and mostly litharge (PbO) was found at higher pH, both hydrocerussite and litharge formed at lower pH. A three-step weathering mechanisms of metallic Pb including oxidation, carbonation and dissolution was proposed. Addition of both calcium carbonate and phosphate rock was effective in reducing water-soluble Pb, though the effect was minimal after 11 weeks of incubation, attributing to the liming effect of metallic Pb added to the soil. While reducing soil moisture and organic matter and increasing soil pH slowed weathering of metallic Pb in a soil, the effect of calcium carbonate and phosphate rock on Pb solubility in soils highly contaminated with Pb was limited.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil and Water Science Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0290, USA

    Lena Q. Ma, Donald W. Hardison Jr, Willie G. Harris & Xinde Cao

  2. Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecological Process, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China

    Lena Q. Ma & Qixing Zhou

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  1. Lena Q. Ma
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  2. Donald W. Hardison Jr
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  3. Willie G. Harris
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  4. Xinde Cao
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  5. Qixing Zhou
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Correspondence to Lena Q. Ma.

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Ma, L.Q., Hardison, D.W., Harris, W.G. et al. Effects of Soil Property and Soil Amendment on Weathering of Abraded Metallic Pb in Shooting Ranges. Water Air Soil Pollut 178, 297–307 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-006-9198-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-006-9198-7

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