A Sensitive XRF Screening Method for Lead in Drinking Water

Tighe, Meghanne; Bielski, Margaret; Wilson, Mark; Ruscio-Atkinson, George; Peaslee, Graham F.; Lieberman, Marya

doi:10.1021/acs.analchem.9b05058

Cited by 24 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…More importantly, an important segment of the general publicthose who currently obtain drinking water from private wellscould have access to rapid PFAS screening for the cost of a mailed GAC felt filter and their own 2 L beverage bottle. A similar method has been shown to work for screening of lead in water supplies by community members . Municipal utilities or federal agencies could screen large numbers of site wells regularly to screen their total fluorine concentrations without having to wait for the time and expense of a complete LC-MS/MS analysis and only send a subset of water samples on for further individual analyte measurements when elevated total organic fluorine concentrations are found.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A similar method has been shown to work for screening of lead in water supplies by community members. 30 Municipal utilities or federal agencies could screen large numbers of site wells regularly to screen their total fluorine concentrations without having to wait for the time and expense of a complete LC-MS/MS analysis and only send a subset of water samples on for further individual analyte measurements when elevated total organic fluorine concentrations are found.…”

Section: ■ Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Screening for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Water with Particle Induced Gamma-Ray Emission Spectroscopy

et al. 2021

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A new method for rapidly screening drinking water for the presence of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) has been developed. This method involves gravity filtering drinking water through an activated carbon felt and subsequently analyzing the surface of the felt with particle induced gamma-ray emission (PIGE) spectroscopy. Using this technique, the total fluorine measurements by PIGE produced linear calibration curves adequate to measure below 50 ppt total fluorine from PFAS in drinking water for as little as 2 L of sample. Inorganic fluoride and PFAS were successfully differentiated by acidifying the sample prior to filtration. Acidification did not affect the anionic PFAS binding to the activated carbon filter, while the inorganic fluoride did not bind to the filter below pH 2. This method is quantitative when measuring individual PFAS; however, as a total fluorine measurement, PIGE cannot differentiate between individual PFAS in a mixed solution. Since most environmental or drinking water samples will likely contain a mixture of PFAS, this method could be used as a preliminary screening tool to identify samples with elevated total extractable organo-fluorine from anionic PFAS that can be analyzed by compound-specific methods subsequently to quantify individual analytes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: ■ Conclusionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Screening for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Water with Particle Induced Gamma-Ray Emission Spectroscopy

et al. 2021

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“…Similar citizen‐science efforts to test Pb in the urban environment are underway elsewhere and could be grown throughout the United States under high‐school programs as well (Filippelli et al., 2018 ; Tighe, Knaub, et al., 2020 ). Since households seem to be more motivated by testing their water, paint and soil testing could perhaps be combined with a new procedure for concentrating Pb in water onto a filter and analyzing the filter by XRF, which is much simpler than analyzing by ICPMS (Tighe, Bielski, et al., 2020 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Testing Homes for Potential Sources of Lead Exposure as a High‐School Science Project

Sefchick¹,

Dusevic²,

Dougherty³

et al. 2021

GeoHealth

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High‐school students tested soil, paint, and water for lead (Pb) in a total of 80 houses in their town of Pelham, New York, where blood‐Pb data indicate relatively high levels of child exposure. All the samples were tested in the laboratory using established procedures but this was preceded by testing of soil and paint in the field with a kit by the students. The total Pb concentration in 32 of the 159 soil samples that were collected exceeded 400 ppm, the EPA standard for bare soil in residential areas where children play. Only 4 of the 118 tap water samples that were collected contained over 15 ppb Pb, with the data showing that flushing for 2 min clearly lowered Pb concentration further across the board. The highest risk of child exposure may be posed by old Pb‐based paint, however, which was detected in 9 of the 48 samples that were tested. Residents were also the least willing to let the students test or sample their paint. High‐school students could help reduce exposure in the many towns where child blood‐Pb levels remain high today by identifying sources and, while doing so, learn about environmental science and measurement from this hands‐on experience.

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“…To respond to environmental lead hazards, residents were made aware of lead screening kits to detect lead in dust, soil, paint, and water, identifying hazards before a child receives an elevated blood lead test. 18,22 Kit distribution presents a challenge, however, because homeowners who know that their home has lead-based paint are required to disclose this information when selling or renting. 30 Because the disclosure of lead-based paint may negatively impact home value, individuals may be discouraged from completing lead screening kits that serve as prevention tools in identifying hazards before a child receives an elevated blood lead test.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Exterior Home Renovation on Community Lead Hazards: A Pilot Study in South Bend, Indiana

Moon

Tighe

Brooks

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Communities across the US face challenges from legacy lead contamination. In South Bend, Indiana, over 68,000 homes were built before 1978, and most contain leaded paint. When these homes are repainted, repaired, or renovated, failure to use lead-safe practices can contaminate the surrounding soil with lead paint flakes and dust. In this study, we used X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to measure soil lead levels surrounding a home with exterior leaded paint (about 10% Pb w/w) after it was repainted in fall of 2019. The painted wooden exterior was prepared for painting by dry scraping without the use of tarps or plastic barriers. A total of 220 soil samples were collected from the home and its immediate neighbors, and an additional 102 samples were collected from 34 homes in the same neighborhood. The median lead level in dripline soil samples across the neighborhood was 434 ppm, but in the recently repainted house, the median soil lead was 1808.9 ppm, and it was 1,346.4 ppm in the four neighboring homes. The repainted house and its four neighbors were mulched by covering all bare soil to a 4-6 inch depth with chipped wood mulch. Two months later, another 100 soil samples were collected and analyzed. The surface lead level around the target house dropped to 13.8 ppm, showing that mulching is an effective strategy for interim control of high soil lead levels.

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A Sensitive XRF Screening Method for Lead in Drinking Water

Cited by 24 publications

References 18 publications

Screening for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Water with Particle Induced Gamma-Ray Emission Spectroscopy

Screening for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Water with Particle Induced Gamma-Ray Emission Spectroscopy

Testing Homes for Potential Sources of Lead Exposure as a High‐School Science Project

Effect of Exterior Home Renovation on Community Lead Hazards: A Pilot Study in South Bend, Indiana

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