Potential factors affecting accumulation of unsupported Pb-210 in soil

Abstract

Airborne Pb-210, daughter of Rn-222, is frequently used as a tracer in different studies concerning atmospheric transport, sedimentation, soil erosion, dating, etc. Concentration of Pb-210 was measured in 40 soil samples collected in urban and industrial areas in order to get evidence of possible influence of some factors on accumulation of airborne Pb-210 in soil. Different soil properties such as the content of organic matter, free CaCO3, and available phosphorus (P2O5) were measured to explore their possible correlation with the amount of Pb-210 Special attention was given to the correlation between 210Pb and stable lead accumulated in the soil. Several samples were taken near a battery manufacturer to check if extremely high concentrations of lead can affect the uptake of the airborne Pb-210 in soil. Soil samples were also taken at different depths to investigate the penetration of lead through the soil.