CEE Seminar: Exposure to House Dust and Soil Lead: Probing Speciation Drivers of Lead Bioavailability

Despite reduced anthropogenic release of lead (Pb), environmental Pb contamination remains widespread in the United States. House dust and soil are major sources of Pb exposure. Historically, soil has been attributed as a major driver of house dust Pb. Understanding the phases of house dust Pb is essential to elucidating potential sources of contamination and subsequent exposure. Additionally, development of remediation techniques is of similar concern due to significant economical and ecological consequences of soil excavation. Here, we explore the Pb speciation and bioavailability of house dusts for a subset of US homes while also showcasing a newly developed, bioavailability-reducing Pb remediation technique. Bulk and spatially-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy results are paired with bioaccessibility and relative bioavailability measurements to explore Pb in house dust and Pb contaminated soils pre- and post-remediation.