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Lead Speciation, Bioaccessibility, and Sources for a Contaminated Subset of House Dust and Soils Collected from Similar United States Residences
Citation:
Sowers, T., M. Blackmon, R. Wilkin, M. Rovero, S. Bone, M. Jerden, C. Nelson, AND K. Bradham. Lead Speciation, Bioaccessibility, and Sources for a Contaminated Subset of House Dust and Soils Collected from Similar United States Residences. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY. American Chemical Society, Washington, DC, 58(21):9339-9349, (2024). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c01594
Impact/Purpose:
The American Health Homes Survey (AHHS) II was designed to assess the prevalence of lead (Pb)-based paint and associated hazards in homes. Specifically, this component of the study evaluates house dust and soil Pb concentrations and Pb speciation. We use a combination of techniques (e.g., XAS, Pb isotope ratio analysis, XRF mapping, etc.) to investigate Pb sources in soil and house dust, as well as probing if soil Pb contributes to house dust Pb. We connect these results to Pb bioaccessibility data that provide insight into potential residential Pb exposure. Findings of this research may be utilized in future exposure modeling efforts and showcase the importance of assessing both house dust and soils when assessing residential Pb contamination.
Description:
Residential lead (Pb) exposure is of critical concern to families globally as Pb promotes severe neurological effects in children, especially those less than 5 years old, and no blood lead level is deemed safe by the US Center for Disease Control. House dust and soils are commonly thought to be important sources of Pb exposure. Probing the relationship between house dust and soil Pb is critical to understanding residential exposure, as Pb bioavailability is highly influenced by Pb sources and/or species. We investigated paired house dust and soil collected from homes built before 1978 to determine Pb speciation, source, and bioaccessibility with the primary goal of assessing chemical factors driving Pb exposure in residential media. House dust was predominately found to contain (hydro)cerussite (i.e., Pb (hydroxy)carbonate) phases commonly used in Pb-based paint that, in-turn, promoted elevated bioaccessibility (>60%). Pb X-ray absorption spectroscopy, μ-XRF mapping, and Pb isotope ratio analysis for house dust and soils support house dust Pb as chemically unique compared to exterior soils, although paint Pb is expected to be a major source for both. Soil pedogenesis and increased protection from environmental conditions (e.g., weathering) in households is expected to greatly impact Pb phase differences between house dust and soils, subsequently dictating differences in Pb exposure.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Lead Speciation, Bioaccessibility, and Sources for a Contaminated Subset of House Dust and Soils Collected from Similar United States Residences
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38748567/