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Faculty Advisor

James Montgomery

Abstract

Lead (Pb), a highly toxic chemical has found its way into many aspects of our communities through a plethora of different pathways such as paint, gasoline, and industrial activity. Exposure to lead poses harmful risks to all age groups as a higher blood lead level is associated with higher mortality. Although actions have been taken to eliminate lead from the atmosphere, it remains in the environment, especially accumulating in urban areas where the use of automobiles and highly industrialized landscapes are prevalent. This study examines the soil lead concentrations along an urban-to-rural gradient connecting Humboldt Park, Skokie, and Buffalo Grove, Illinois. This study hypothesizes that the soil lead concentration decreases on the urban-to-rural gradient due to the decrease in industrialization and commercial land use.

Soil samples were collected from five randomly generated locations in the parkways of each census tract in Humboldt Park, Skokie, and Buffalo Grove. It is important to note that only the Cook County census tracts of Buffalo Grove were utilized for this study, the Lake County census tracts of Buffalo Grove were not analyzed.

The average soil lead concentrations for each census tract and the interpolation of soil lead concentrations were mapped using ArcGIS Pro. There was a statistically significant difference between the soil lead concentrations of Humboldt Park, Skokie, and Buffalo Grove. The soil lead concentrations decreased significantly from Humboldt Park to Skokie to Buffalo Grove which rejected the null hypothesis. This finding has implications for citizens of the communities containing high lead soil concentration, as caution needs to be considered when planting crops, such as those with deep roots. Further research should be conducted to analyze the relationships between other variables impacted by soil lead concentration, such as child blood lead levels and median household income.

Lead (Pb), a highly toxic chemical has found its way into many aspects of our communities through a plethora of different pathways such as paint, gasoline, and industrial activity. Exposure to lead poses harmful risks to all age groups as a higher blood le ad level is associated with higher mortality. Although actions have been taken to eliminate lead from the atmosphere, it remains in the environment, especially accumulating in urban areas where the use of automobiles and highly industrialized landscapes are prevalent. This study examines the soil lead concentrations along an urban-to-rural gradient connecting Humboldt Park, Skokie, and Buffalo Grove, Illinois. This study hypothesizes that the soil lead concentration decreases on the urban -to-rural gradient due to the decrease in industrialization and commercial land use.

Soil samples were collected from five randomly generated locations in the parkways of each census tract in Humboldt Park, Skokie, and Buffalo Grove. It is important to note that only the Cook County census tracts of Buffalo Grove were utilized for this study, the Lake County census tracts of Buffalo Grove were not analyzed.

The average soil lead concentrations for each census tract and the interpolation of soil lead concentrations were mapped using ArcGIS Pro. There was a statistically significant difference between the soil lead concentrations of Humboldt Park, Skokie, and Buffalo Grove. The soil lead concentrations decreased significantly from Humboldt Park to Skokie to Buffalo Grove which rejected the null hypothesis. This finding has implications for citizens of the communities containing high lead soil concentration, as caution needs to be considered when planting crops, such as those with deep roots. Further research should be conducted to analyze the relationships between other variables impacted by soil lead concentration, such as child blood lead levels and median household income.

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