Gasoline-derived lead in forest soils of the northeastern United States

Dartmouth researchers were mentioned in a recent article published by the Soil Science Society of America for their research on gasoline-derived lead that has settled in the northeast forests of the United States.  In the recent article they write:  

"Beginning in the 1920s, lead was added to gasoline to improve vehicle performance. As automobile technology improved and the environmental and human health hazards of lead became apparent, leaded gasoline began to be phased out in the 1970s. Unfortunately, the lead emitted from cars decades ago has stuck around in the environment."

"Researchers at Dartmouth College are studying lead in one of the places it has settled – the forests of the northeastern United States. Their paper, recently published in the Journal of Environmental Quality, describes where the lead was deposited and why patterns in forest soils may be different in various areas."

"One of the places that gasoline-derived lead can be found is in the organic soils of forests, also called the forest floor. The high concentrations of organic matter in forest floors provide ideal places for lead to bind."

Read the full article at Soil Science Society of America.