Naruemol Jongkolrat. Lead distribution and its potential environmental risks derived from a battery recycling plant. Master's Degree(Environmental Technology). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2007.
Lead distribution and its potential environmental risks derived from a battery recycling plant
Abstract:
Lead contaminations were assessed in the environment in the vicinity of a
battery recycling plant in Saraburi Province, Thailand. Lead concentrations were
determined in soil, sediment and plant samples to investigate potential
environmental risks within a radius of 1 km from the plant using the hazard quotient
equation (HQ).
The results revealed that lead contaminations in the soil decreased with
increasing distance from the battery recycling plant (r2=0.73, p<0.001). High lead
contaminations were found within distances of 50 m from the plant. The
concentrations of lead in soil collected in all transect lines with distances of 50, 100
and 250 m from the battery recycling plant exceeded background value (p<0.001,
p<0.01 and p<0.005, respectively). Then, lead concentrations decreased to the
background level at stations located farther than 500 m distance away (P<0.05).
Lead concentrations in sediment collected downstream from the effluent
discharge point (625-18,621 mg/kg dw) were much higher than those collected
upstream (29-174 mg/kg dw), and gradually decreased with distance.
In addition, lead concentrations in most of plant samples from contaminated
areas (18-1,601 mg/kg dw) were much higher than those from uncontaminated areas
(0.01-10 mg/kg dw). As the maximum allowance of lead contamination in grass
utilized for grazing animal consumption is only 7 mg/kg dw, these lead
contaminations might affect to health of animals in this area, and consequently enter
to food chain through human consumption of meat and dairy products. For potential
environmental risks consideration, HQ values in soil samples at a radius of 50 m and
an area about 100 m northward from the plant were in the range of 1.4 to 17.5. Also,
HQ values in sediments and edible plants collected in the vicinity of the battery
recycling plant were in the range of 1.7 to 186.2 and 3.6 to 228.7, respectively.
These HQ results indicate potential environmental risks in the study area.
It can then be concluded that lead has been distributed from the battery
recycling plant and has contaminated soils, sediments and plants in its vicinity.