Occurrence and Spatial Distribution of Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, and Uranium in Soils of Southern Louisiana

Toxic elements released into the environment through natural and anthropogenic processes can expose vulnerable populations especially children to adverse health risks. This study aims to determine the concentrations and spatial distributions of Pb, As, Cd, and U in 182 soil samples collected from playgrounds, parks, daycares and other sites between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana. The elemental concentrations of soils were measured using Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS). Soil pollution status was assessed using geo-accumulation and pollution indices. The concentrations of toxic elements showed mean (min–max) (mg/kg) of Pb: 71 (4.6–939), As: 6.4 (1.3–51), Cd: 0.69 (0.04–19), and U: 2.1 (0.38–72). About 2%, 3%, and 8% of the soils exceeded the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) soil cleaning level guideline (mg/kg) of 3.9, 400, and 12 for Cd, Pb, and As, respectively. The mean geo-accumulation indices for toxic elements were below zero, suggesting no significant contamination. Pollution indices (PI) of U and As showed no pollution (PI