LEAD ANALYSIS OF A VACANT PROPERTY IN HAMILTON, OHIO OF PAINT, SOIL, DUST, AND ROAD SEDIMENT PRESENT TO DETERMINE SIMILARITIES IN THE SOURCE LEAD

Hamilton, Ohio is a post-industrial city in southwestern Ohio with many vacant properties that are being rehabilitated for economic growth. Due to the history of industrialism, Hamilton is at a higher risk of environmental contamination. Samples were collected from a residential property near The Great Miami River that is at high risk of contamination because it is a crucial water resource in the region. House paint, top soil, house dust, and road sediment were acquired with the City’s permission. Qualitative results were obtained using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) which indicated lead particles were present in all 4 of the dust samples. Lead particles were also found in 4 out of 5 of the road sediment samples and 2 out of 8 of the paint samples. These lead particles were ~1 µm to 10 µm in diameter which is considered ingestible particulate matter. With these SEM images, the size, texture, and shape of the lead was characterized to determine if the different sites have the same source of lead or shared similar characteristics. If the lead shares similar characteristics and/or has the same source in multiple areas, then we can better understand the associated risks. SEM images revealed similar textures of lead particles in various sample sources. When the number of lead particles in a sample was high, the more similarities between the sizes and textures were found. To gain additional information about the concentrations of lead present in the samples, X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis will be conducted on the soil samples taken. The soil samples were collected in a grid-like formation from the house to adjacent roads. Through this, it can be determined if there is a trend to or away from the property of various metal contaminants and could identify sources of metals. For example, if lead concentrations are higher near the road, it would suggest the source is leaded gasoline. For future research, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) will be conducted on powdered soil, paint, and road sediment samples which will determine the trace elements present and give us the isotope information to determine the source of each lead particle present. Using a multianalytical approach, the lead particles can be assessed based on the textures and sizes of the particles present in the sample materials.