All Issue

2025 Vol.30, Issue 5
The Characteristics of Soil Lead Contamination in Military Rifle Shooting Ranges

군 소화기 사격장 부지의 납 토양오염 분포 특성

Il-Ha Koh1*
,
Chang Koo Park1
,
Kwang Young You2
,
Seung Cheon Noh2
,
Won Hyun Ji3
고일하 1*
,
박창구 1
,
유광영 2
,
노승천 2
,
지원현 3
1National Environment Lab. (NeLab), Seoul 02841, Korea
2Environmental Division, Engineer Office, Republic of Korea Army Headquarters, Gyeryong 32800, Korea
3Department of Energy & Climate Environment Fusion Technology, Graduate School, Hoseo University, Asan 31499, Korea
1환경기술정책연구원 (NeLab)
2육군본부 공병실 환경과
3호서대학교 일반대학원 에너지환경융합기술학과
*Corresponding Author
31 October 2025. pp. 1-8
PDF XML Citation
Abstract

This study investigated the soil contamination characteristics of military rifle shooting ranges. 4 shooting ranges, including zeroing range, were chosen for the investigation and were classified as 3 areas (berm, target, and range floor) in each shooting range for soil sampling. The leaching concentrations of lead in the berms by SPLP (synthetic precipitation leaching procedure), 0.13 mg/L ~ 2.14 mg/L, were significantly higher than those of copper and zinc, less than 0.2 mg/L. This indicates that lead is a major contaminant in shooting ranges. Concentrations of lead by aqua regia were higher in the berm, followed by the target area and lastly the range floor due to the influence of bullets. As target distances from a firing point increased, the concentrations also increased because shooting uphill is general due to the topography of the ranges. The concentration relationship between surface and subsurface soils was identified only in the range floors, where there are fewer bullets. Surface soil concentrations were higher than subsurface concentrations in the range floors due to the effects of contaminants leaching and soil loss from the berms and target areas. Therefore, the reduction of contaminant mobility and soil particulate loss has to be preferentially focused on in terms of the sustainable management of military shooting ranges.

Keywords
military shooting range
lead
berm
target area
range floor
References

References

1

Ahmad, M., Lee, S.S., Moon, D.H., Yang, J.E., and Ok, Y.S., 2012, A Review of Environmental Contamination and Remediation Strategies for Heavy Metals at Shooting Range Soils, In: Malik, A. and Grohmann E.(ed), Environmental Protection Strategies for Sustainable Development, Springer, Dordrecht, Hidelberg, New York, London, 437-451 p.

10.1007/978-94-007-1591-2_14
2

Alasmary, Z., 2025, Lead (Pb) contamination in soil and plants at military shooting ranges and its mitigation strategies: a comprehensive review, Processes, 13(2), 345.

10.3390/pr13020345
3

Cao, X., Dermatas, D., Xu, X., and Shen, G., 2008, Immobilization of lead in shooting range soils by means of cement, quicklime, and phosphate amendments, Env. Sci. Pollut. Res., 15(2), 120-127.

10.1065/espr2007.05.416
4

Collin, M.S., Venkatranman, S.K., Vijayakumar, N., Kanimozhi, V., Arbaaz, S.M., Stacey, R.G.S., Anusha, J., Choudhary, R., Lvov, V., Tovar, G.I., Senatov, F., Koppala, S., and Swamiappan, S., 2022, Bioaccumulation of lead (Pb) and its effects on human: A review, J. Harzard. Mater. Adv., 7, 1-8.

10.1016/j.hazadv.2022.100094
5

Emon, F.J., Rohani, M.F., Sumaiya, N., Jannat, M.F,T., Akter, Y., Shahjahan, M., Kari, Z.A., Tahiuddin, A.B., and Goh, K.W., 2023, Bioaccumulation and bioremediation of heavy metals in fishes- A review, Toxics, 11(6), 510.

10.3390/toxics11060510
6

EPA Victoria (Environment Protection Authority Victoria), 2019, Guide for managing contamination at shooting ranges, 9 p.

7

Etim, E.U., 2016, Distribution of soil-bound lead arising from rainfall-runoff events at impact berm of a military shooting range, J. Environ. Prot., 7(5), 623-634.

10.4236/jep.2016.75056
8

Hong, S.T. and Hyun, J.H., 2014, The comparison of the relationship between the gunfire shot and its resulting heavy metal pollution rate, J. Soil Groundw. Environ., 19(6), 1-5.

10.7857/jsge.2014.19.6.001
9

Kim, H.S. and Choi, S.I., 2008, Effects of HCl and EDTA on soil washing to remediate lead-contaminated soil in a firing range, J. Soil Groundw. Environ., 13(1), 60-66.

10

Koh, I.H., Kwon, Y.S., Jeong, M.H., and Ji, W.H., 2021, Soil loss reduction and stabilization of arsenic contaminated soil in slope farmland using CMDS (coal mine drainage sludge) under rainfall simulation, J. Soil Groundwater Environ., 26(6), 18-26.

11

Koh, I.H., Yu, C., Park, M.J., and Ji, W.H., 2019, Reduction of soil loss from sloped agriculrural field by using hydrated lime, J. Soil Groundwater Environ., 24(2), 1-7.

12

Laidlaw, M.A.S., Filippelli, G., Mielke, H., Gulson, B., and Ball, A.S., 2017, Lead exposure at firing ranges-a review, Environ Health, 16(34), 1-15.

10.1186/s12940-017-0246-0
13

Lee, K.L. and Hyun, J.H., 2016, Modality of heavy metal contamination of soil in military rifle shooting range, J. Soil Groundw. Environ., 21(3), 58-63.

10.7857/jsge.2016.21.3.058
14

Lee, S.W., Lee, W.C., Lee, S.H., and Kim, S.O., 2021, Remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil within a military shooting range through physicochemical treatment, J. Soil Groundw. Environ., 26(5), 9-19.

15

Li, X., Coles, B.J., Ramsey, M.H., and Thornton, I., 1995, Sequential extraction of soils for multielement analysis by ICP-AES, Chem. Geol., 124(1-2), 109-123.

10.1016/0009-2541(95)00029-l
16

Moon, D.H., Cheong, K.H., Kim, T.S., Khim, J.H., Choi, S.B., Ok, Y.S., and Moon, O.R., 2010, Stabilization of Pb contaminated army firing range soil using calcined waste oyster shells, J. Korean Soc. Environ. Eng., 32(2), 185-192.

10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.02.007
17

NIER (National Institute of Environmental Research), 2022, Korea standard methods for soil analysis.

18

Rhee, P.M., Moore, E.E., Joseph, B., Tang, A., Pandit, V., and Vercruysse, G., 2016, Gunshot wounds: a review of ballistics, bullets, weapons, and myths, J. Trauma Acute Care Surg, 80(6), 853-867.

10.1097/ta.0000000000001037
19

Sanderson, P., Naidu, R., Asce, M., Bolan, N., and Bowman, M., 2011, Critical review on chemical stabilization of metal contaminants in shooting range soils, J. Hazard Toxic Radio, 16(3), 258-272.

10.1061/(asce)hz.2153-5515.0000113
20

Shin, E.S., Nam, H., Park, Y.K., Park, H.G., Yoo, J.B., and Shin, H.M., 2025, Soil pollution management for sustainable operation of shooting range, Proceedings of the 2025 spring conference abstract of Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment, Pusan, Korea, p. 65.

21

US EPA, 1994, Synthetic Precipitation Leaching Procedure, EPA Method 1312.

22

US EPA, 2024, Updated Residential Soil Lead Guidance for CERCLA Sites and RCRA Corrective Action Facilities.

23

Yong, S.K., Zin, S.N.M., and Ariff, M.J.M., 2016, Effects of rain pH, soil organic matter, cation exchange capacity and total lead content in shooting range soil on the concentration of lead in leachate, Malays. J. Anal. Sci., 20(5), 1066-1072.

10.17576/mjas-2016-2005-11
24

Yun, S.W., Kang, H.C., Kwon, Y.S., Koh, I.H., Jeong, M.H., and Yu, C., 2022, A pilot experiments for evaluation of cover soil loss from inclined upland around remediated abandoned mine site, Journal of the Korean Society of Agricultural Engineers, 64(2), 37-45.

Information
  • Publisher :The Korean Society of Soil and Groundwater Environment
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국지하수토양환경학회
  • Journal Title :Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
  • Journal Title(Ko) :지하수토양환경
  • Volume : 30
  • No :5
  • Pages :1-8
  • Received Date : 2025-09-03
  • Revised Date : 2025-09-09
  • Accepted Date : 2025-09-22
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.7857/JSGE.2025.30.5.001
Journal Informaiton Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
Online Submission
  • KOFST
  • KISTI Current Status
  • KISTI Cited-by
  • orcid
  • open access
  • ccl
Journal Informaiton Journal Informaiton - close