Summary: | Leaching of lead (Pb) from the shooting range soil may contaminate water resource if rain pH decreases and soil has a low cation exchange capacity (CEC). Over exposure of Pb may cause brain injury and death. In this study, leaching of Pb from shooting range soil was simulated with column leaching test using artificial rain at pH 4 and 7. Soil physico-chemical parameters (i.e. pH, organic matter (OM), and CEC) were determined, and its’ correlation with Pb concentrations in soil (Soil Pb) and leachate (Leachate Pb) were studied using Pearson’s correlation. Compare to control soil, shooting range soil has higher contents of Pb (12,163 - 17,278 mg/kg, dry weight basis) and sand (64 - 68 %). The CEC value of shooting range soil (193 cmol/kg at pH 7) is lower than those in control soil (85 - 140 cmol/kg at pH 7), possibly due to low contents of clay and OM. There is positive correlation between Soil Pb and Leachate Pb variable pair (r = 0.94; p = 0.06); while Soil OM and Leachate Pb variable pair has a negative correlation (r = -0.94; p = 0.06). In conclusion, the combination of high soil Pb content, low CEC, and low rain pH increases leaching of Pb from shooting range soil. © 2016, Malaysian Society of Analytical Sciences. All rights reserved.
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