TITLE:
Distribution of Soil-Bound Lead Arising from Rainfall-Runoff Events at Impact Berm of a Military Shooting Range
AUTHORS:
Effiong Ukorebi Etim
KEYWORDS:
Lead, Soil Contamination, Enrichment Ratio, Sediment, Shooting Range
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.7 No.5,
April
7,
2016
ABSTRACT: Surface
runoff from rainfall event is an important indicator of metal mobility in soil,
which may enhance non-point source contamination of soil. This study is
designed to assess the mobility of soil-bound lead through simulated rainfall
runoff experiment and its spatial distribution within the vicinity of a berm at
a major military shooting range. Contamination was more significant at the
impact area of berm, indicating threefold increase in Pb (17,500 ± 3811 μg/g)
within a space of ten years. However, the non-impact area (459 ± 147 μg/g) was
less contaminated. Other metals (Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni and Zn) analyzed were about
background levels except for Cu at impact area. The enrichment ratio of Pb in
runoff sediments was mostly high for the 0.43 mm sediment fractions independent
of rainfall condition. Principal component analysis (PCA) biplot showed strong
correlation between spatial distributions of metals around the vicinity of the
berm (farmlands behind the berm) with concentrations on the impact berm soil.
Surface runoff simulated on impact area soil had high concentrations of Pb
(40.4 - 65.6 μg/mL) which could further lead to enrichment of soil-Pb levels
within the vicinity of the berm. Decontamination measure is therefore required
to minimize extensive contamination of surrounding soils of the impact berm due
to rainfall runoff events.