A simple kit to detect extractable lead concentrations in soil

• Simplified soil Pb test kit uses purple-turning cotton swab and costs 3, the results show a sensitivity and selectivity of 85 % relative to an extractable Pb concentration of 200 mg/kg in the kit extract measured by X-ray fluorescence. The kit extracts about a third of the Pb released from soil using US EPA Method 1340. Depending on the proportion of extractable Pb in a specific soil sample, the kit could therefore help households and communities detect soil contamination from mining, smelting, battery recycling, or flaking paint down to 3 times the recently lowered US EPA screening level of 200 mg/kg for total Pb in soil.