Testing Soil for Lead Contamination

The widespread use of paint and gasoline, along with industrial contamination, have caused elevated levels of lead in urban soil, which can lead to health problems.

Lead occurs naturally in soils, in levels ranging from 10 to 50 parts per million, or ppm. However, contaminated urban soils often have concentrated levels of lead, that are significantly greater than this background level- up to 10,000 ppm in some areas. These elevated lead levels are a concern as lead does not biodegrade, and instead remains in the soil.

Serious health risks are associated with lead poisoning, particularly in foods grown in contaminated soils and for children who come in contact with contamination. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency has set a limit of 400 ppm in gardening and play areas, and 1,200 ppm in other areas.

The concentration of lead in soil can be determined using various elemental analysis techniques, such as atomic absorption spectroscopy. This video will introduce the principles of soil collection and the analysis of lead contamination in soil using atomic absorption spectroscopy.

Atomic absorption spectroscopy, or AAS, is an elemental analysis technique based on the absorption