Lead Contamination in Plants at a Former Trapshooting Site in Cheney, Washington, USA.
Faculty Mentor
Carmen Nezat
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-14-2026 2:00 PM
End Date
4-14-2026 4:00 PM
Location
PUB NCR
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Geosciences
Abstract
Understanding environmental lead (Pb) contamination is important due to its harmful effects on the health of both humans and ecosystems. Soils at former shooting ranges are commonly contaminated with Pb from ammunition. Previous research into Pb contamination on a former trapshooting site at the EWU Prairie Restoration Project site in Cheney, Washington determined that some soils have Pb concentrations above the Washington State Department of Ecology’s action level. In this study, we aimed to determine if plants at the contaminated site also had elevated concentrations of Pb. Plant diversity was determined along a transect at 20 meter intervals from the trap house up to 120 meters in the direction of shooting. Samples of Epilobium brachycarpum (willowherb, native) and Lactuca serriola (spiny lettuce, invasive) were collected at each site and dried. The above-ground mass was powdered using a ball mill, then digested in 30% hydrogen peroxide and concentrated nitric acid using a Mars 6 microwave digestion system. Samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Preliminary results indicate that plant Pb concentrations range from non-detectable to ~25 mg/kg plant, with the highest concentrations coincident with the highest soil Pb levels. The high Pb levels may be due to absorption by the plants or surface contamination (soils present on the plants).
Recommended Citation
Roose, Robin and Nezat, Carmen PhD, "Lead Contamination in Plants at a Former Trapshooting Site in Cheney, Washington, USA." (2026). 2026 Symposium. 50.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/ps_2026/p3_2026/50
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Lead Contamination in Plants at a Former Trapshooting Site in Cheney, Washington, USA.
PUB NCR
Understanding environmental lead (Pb) contamination is important due to its harmful effects on the health of both humans and ecosystems. Soils at former shooting ranges are commonly contaminated with Pb from ammunition. Previous research into Pb contamination on a former trapshooting site at the EWU Prairie Restoration Project site in Cheney, Washington determined that some soils have Pb concentrations above the Washington State Department of Ecology’s action level. In this study, we aimed to determine if plants at the contaminated site also had elevated concentrations of Pb. Plant diversity was determined along a transect at 20 meter intervals from the trap house up to 120 meters in the direction of shooting. Samples of Epilobium brachycarpum (willowherb, native) and Lactuca serriola (spiny lettuce, invasive) were collected at each site and dried. The above-ground mass was powdered using a ball mill, then digested in 30% hydrogen peroxide and concentrated nitric acid using a Mars 6 microwave digestion system. Samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). Preliminary results indicate that plant Pb concentrations range from non-detectable to ~25 mg/kg plant, with the highest concentrations coincident with the highest soil Pb levels. The high Pb levels may be due to absorption by the plants or surface contamination (soils present on the plants).
