ASSAY OF PH VALUES, ORGANIC MATTER, CLAY CONTENT, AND THEIR CORRELATION WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AVAILABILITY OF LEAD (PB) IN THE SOILS OF MUNCIE, INDIANA

Lead (Pb) contamination in soils is a serious issue in many cities worldwide due to current and legacy industrial activities. Recent studies have demonstrated that Pb in the soil can be highly mobile, moving from contaminated soil to young children and adults, specifically in regions affected by industrial emissions. Many factors influence the level of Pb transmission from the soil to the children. A primary factor for children is hand-to-mouth behavior. In addition, the physical-chemical properties of the soil and the child's nutritional status will also influence the uptake of Pb. Soil pH, organic matter, and clay content influence the speciation, solubility, and movement and impact the availability of Pb in soils. In this study, sixty-four soil samples from the Muncie area were collected, and soil pH, organic matter, clay content, and environmentally available Pb concentrations were measured to (1) determine the environmentally available Pb concentrations in soils. (2) to ascertain the role of soil pH, organic matter contents, and clay content on the availability of Pb. The results will provide valuable references for evaluating the Pb contaminated soil in future studies.