Results show that phosphate rocks reduce the amount of water-soluble lead in contaminated soils by 57 to 100 percent. We have found a way to change the nature of lead so that it is insoluble and stable. The technology, which has been patented by Ohio State and the Environmental Protection Agency, can also be used to treat soil contaminated with other heavy metals, such as zinc, aluminum, cadmium and possibly uranium. But lead poses the biggest health risk, Logan said. Lead is highly toxic and, if ingested, can cause serious damage to the brain, kidneys and nervous system.
Young children are especially susceptible to lead poisoning.
Since 1910, American consumers have used more than 11 million tons of lead in the forms of paint and gasoline. Their research is now supported by the Florida Institute for Phosphate Rock Research. The work first looked at the effectiveness of hydroxyapatite, a synthetic compound made from phosphate rocks, in immobilizing lead in soil. Phosphate rocks are primarily mined in Florida and North Carolina. It worked within a matter of minutes to just a few days.