Lead (Pb) Contamination in Soil and Plants at Military Shooting Ranges and Its Mitigation Strategies: A Comprehensive Review

Heavy metals, especially lead (Pb), is the major cause of pollution in the military shooting range soils. Bullets, which are primarily made of Pb, are a substantial source of this pollution. On speciation, this Pb is distributed into its different metal forms. Different physicochemical properties of the soil like pH, moisture content, cation exchange capacity (CEC), and organic matter play a very crucial role in the distribution, transformation, and bioavailability of the Pb. The concentration of Pb found in different shooting ranges is examined. Moreover, bullet weathering and the availability of contaminants in the soil are influenced by the physicochemical properties of the soil. For the management of firing range pollution, a variety of strategies have been investigated, including soil washing, phytoremediation, and chemical stabilization. This review focus on the pollution status of different shooting ranges, the impact of the physicochemical properties of soil on the distribution, speciation, and transformation of Pb, and different mitigation strategies to control Pb pollution in military shooting ranges.