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Plumbojarosite Remediation of Soil Affects Lead Speciation and Elemental Interactions in Soil and in Mice Tissues
Citation:
Sowers, T., S. Bone, Matthew Noerpel, M. Blackmon, R. Karna, K. Scheckel, A. Juhasz, G. Diamond, D. Thomas, AND K. Bradham. Plumbojarosite Remediation of Soil Affects Lead Speciation and Elemental Interactions in Soil and in Mice Tissues. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 55(23):15950-15960, (2021). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c06067
Impact/Purpose:
To our knowledge, this is the first report in which bulk Pb XANES LCF analysis and spatially resolved XANES analysis were paired to examine changes in Pb speciation in soils during transit of the GIT. This allows for better understanding of how remediation technologies sequester Pb during gastrointestinal transport, decreasing availability of this toxic metal. This study confirms that plumbojarosite significantly decreased Pb relative bioavailability, making this an exceptionally promising remediation technology. These findings further ORD’s research on development of soil remediation technologies to reduce lead bioavailability at contaminated sites in support of EPA’s OLEM/OSRTI and Regional offices. ORD’s soil remediation research for lead contaminated soils is listed as a high priority research need for OLEM/OSRTI and EPA Regional offices.
Description:
Lead (Pb) contamination of soils is of global concern due to the devastating impacts of Pb exposure in children. Because early-life exposure to Pb has long-lasting health effects, reducing exposure in children is a critical public health goal that has intensified research on the conversion of soil Pb to low bioavailability phases. Recently, plumbojarosite (PLJ) conversion of highly available soil Pb was found to decrease Pb relative bioavailability (RBA <10%). However, there is sparse information concerning interactions between Pb and other elements when contaminated soil, pre- and post-remediation, is ingested and moves through the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Addressing this may inform drivers of effective chemical remediation strategies. Here, we utilize bulk and micro-focused Pb X-ray absorption spectroscopy to probe elemental interactions and Pb speciation in mouse diet, cecum, and feces samples following ingestion of contaminated soils pre- and post-PLJ treatment. RBA of treated soils was less than 1% with PLJ phases transiting the GIT with little absorption. In contrast, Pb associated with organics was predominantly found in the cecum. These results are consistent with transit of insoluble PLJ to feces following ingestion. The expanded understanding of Pb interactions during GIT transit complements our knowledge of elemental interactions with Pb that occur at higher levels of biological organization.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Plumbojarosite Remediation of Soil Affects Lead Speciation and Elemental Interactions in Soil and in Mice Tissues
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34806356/