Date of Award
Spring 4-30-2018
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Department
Geosciences
First Advisor
Dr. Daniel Deocampo
Second Advisor
Dr. Elliott Crawford
Third Advisor
Dr. Dajun Dai
Abstract
Previous research from urban cities around the world have found elevated soil lead concentrations in many of the cities because of anthropogenic deposition of lead from industrial, transportation, and residential applications. Children, impoverished populations, and pregnant women all experience increased adverse health risks when exposed to land with elevated soil lead concentration. The project tested the following hypotheses concerning soil lead within the Atlanta urban environment; soil is enriched from transportation sources and deteriorating lead paint, soil lead is not sourced from the weathering of the bedrock or soil, and enrichment is heterogeneous. The hypotheses were tested through the geochemical and spatial analysis of 750 soil samples collected within the Atlanta urban environment, utilizing Xray fluorescence, inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy analysis, and statistical interpretation. Soil lead concentrations in the 100µm fraction ranged from 10ppm to 3029ppm, with a median value of 75ppm. Soil lead concentrations in the bulk samples were less enriched and ranged from below detection limit to 2599ppm, with a median value of 59ppm. Semivariograms of the data, illustrates poor spatial autocorrelation between samples at this sampling distance.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/12045553
Recommended Citation
Henson, Lanier, "Surface Soil Metal and Metalloid Contamination Within the Urban Environment of Atlanta, Georgia." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2018.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/12045553