Lead Contamination of Soil in Burlington

The Soil Group

Sam Mathisen, David Wrenner, Kaji Lungu, Jacob Davis, Lily Cotell, Keisha Bedor, Julia Belyung, Ella Pellegrino, Sofie Pedemonti, and Brianna Klauer

Goals of Soil CollectionThe goal of this project was to collect soil samples throughout the South End of

Burlington and test the various lead levels in the soil in areas where past groups of GIV

students hadn’t yet collected samples.

What is Lead?● Lead is an element that naturally occurs in the Earth's crust. It is easily extracted

and therefore it has been widely used throughout history.

● Discovered in 7000 BC

● Soft, malleable, and heavy post transition metal.

How Lead Became a ProblemBefore lead was banned from residential use in 1978, it was used in:

● Roman water pipes

● Paint on houses

● Leaded gasoline

● Industrial sources

● Household appliances (water pipes, cosmetics, batteries, etc.)

Lead doesn’t break down which means lead from several decades ago is still present

and affecting our ecosystem. Due to its presence in our everyday lives, even small

amounts of lead can be harmful to living organisms.

Lead in Paint● Used to increase durability and lifespan of paint

○ House paint

○ Lead paint chips and toys dangerous to kids

● Strong marketing campaigns

● Banned in 1978 due to health concerns

Health Issues Surrounding Lead● Symptoms of Lead Poisoning

○ Developmental delay in children

○ Learning difficulties

○ High blood pressure

○ Low Sperm Count

○ Miscarriage or premature birth

Our Hypotheses

● The soil near buildings will have higher amounts of lead due to the lead based

paint used on the structures and will decrease when farther from these structures.

● A higher concentration of lead would be found near university buildings rather

than residential buildings.

Procedure ● The whole soil group split up and went to two different locations in South Burlington

● The two groups gathered about 60 soil samples each and then returned to the lab for some analyzing

● All of the samples were tightly packed into capsules under a thin film which allows for scanning. The

samples were scanned by a portable X-Ray Fluorescence Analyzer (XRF).

Field Work

https://public.tableau.com/views/GIV_soil_group/Story1?:embed=y&:display_count=yes&:showTabs=y

Transect Data

Residential Sites

UVM Campus

Residential vs. Campus data

Predicted Blood Lead Levels of Children Under 7*

The level at which the CDC considers children are at high risk for lead poisoning is 5 µg/dL. That is when treatment would begin. Chelation therapy is used most often to get the lead out naturally.

*No blood tests actually administered, this data is all hypothetical

Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) Pictures

SEM Results

Normal Paint

Lead Paint

<high amounts of

titanium

<high amounts of

lead

Prevention and AwarenessEver since the ban of lead paint and leaded car fuel in 1978, awareness of the issue has

been publicized through many different ways including:

● Media

● News Networks

● Newspapers

● Magazines

Steps you can take to protect yourself and your family against lead poisoning include:

● Testing your house and the surrounding soil for lead contamination

● Removing the lead paint if it’s on your house

● Avoid allowing children to consume soil that may be contaminated with lead

How we can get lead out of our soil:● Dig up and move top soil

● Phytoremediation is the use of plants such as sunflowers and indian mustard to

absorb the harmful metal. In order for this procedure to be successful, the plants

must be disposed of so that the harmful materials are not re-introduced to the soil

● Phosphate remediation: binds to lead in the soil and makes it harder for our

bodies to absorb.

Conclusion● Buildings built before 1978 had more lead in the soil around them.

● Unsafe amounts of lead remain in Burlington, and because lead is still legally used

in things like bullets, batteries, road paint, and airplane fuel, we’re constantly

adding more to our environment.

● If we eliminate the use of lead and clean up past contamination, we can create a

safer world for future generations.

Citations● "Lead in Soil." Minnesota Department of Health (2012): n. pag. Minnesota Department of Health. July 2012. Web. 30 June 2016

○ http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/hazardous/topics/leadinsoil.pdf

● "Lead Poisoning | Storm Lake, IA - Official Website." Lead Poisoning | Storm Lake, IA - Official Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 June 2016. <http:

//www.stormlake.org/574/Lead-Poisoning>.

○ http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/hazardous/topics/leadinsoil.pdf

● "Learn about Lead." EPA. Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. Web. 30 June 2016.

○ https://www.epa.gov/lead/learn-about-lead

● UN Proclaims 2015 the International Year of Soil | PV Waste Solutions Regina. Digital image. PV Waste Solutions Regina. N.p., n.d. Web. 30

June 2016.

○ http://pvwastesolutions.com/2015/01/08/un-proclaims-2015-the-international-year-of-soil/

○ http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/Pages/LeadIndex.aspx

● "Lead Poisoning." Symptoms. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 30 June 2016.

○ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lead-poisoning/basics/symptoms/con-20035487

QUESTIONS