Research Plan for the Lead Project at UNO
The EPA has invested considerable resources into the investigation and remediation of lead contamination of soil in Omaha. There is more to the problem than just the effects due to industrial operations. Other sources of lead contamination exist and bio-accumulation of lead in children is often due to paint (references?) in older buildings and lead solder used in older household plumbing with perhaps some contribution from the use of leaded gasoline. While it is clear that high lead concentrations in soils in Omaha exist around these industrial operations, it is not necessarily true that the health threat to people in Omaha is due to this source uniquely. Our study at UNO of the lead contamination in soil is designed to compliment the work done previously by the EPA. We are interested in the following research questions. You will be the first to study one or more of these questions.
- Where are there potentially hazardous levels of lead in soils outside of the area contaminated by industrial operations?
- To what extent do isotopic ratios of lead in Omaha soils vary?
- How do the measurable variations correlate to the different lead sources; i.e., refining operations, gasoline, or paints?
- What other elements can be used to provide further evidence of lead sources?
- What are the isotopic ratios of lead in paints from old buildings in Omaha?
- What were the isotope ratios of lead in leaded gasoline prior to 1989?
- What were the isotope ratios of lead emitted from refinery operations in Omaha?
- How do the isotopic ratios of lead correlate with the different ore sources where lead is mined or to the commercial source of the lead?
This list of research questions is not intended to be exclusive or exhaustive. As is the case with scientific research, it is quite possible that other questions may present themselves over the course of this work. Note that our research project does not involve obtaining blood lead levels from Omaha children (or anyone else for that matter). It is rather a question of whether any correlation can be made between lead source and soil lead deposits. This is challenging proposition, with many factors that have to be explored before conclusions can be made.