Multi-scale assessment of metal contamination in residential soil and soil fauna: A case study in the Baltimore–Washington metropolitan region, USA

Abstract

h i g h l i g h t s• Soil contamination of metals occurred in residences located in older, more urbanized areas.• Earthworm burdens correlated with soil Pb and isopod burdens correlated with As, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn.• Bird blood Pb correlated with earthworm Pb burdens suggesting a high risk to wildlife.• The persistence of Pb contamination in urban soils after decades of reduced emissions is alarming. a b s t r a c tThis study examined the distribution of metals in residential soils from the scale of a residential yard to a metropolitan area by comparing residences along an urbanization gradient in the Baltimore-Washington area, USA. In addition, earthworms and terrestrial isopods were sampled from residential yards to measure body burdens of metals. Soil metal concentrations from lawns and planting bed (road, foundation, and yard) patches were compared (1) among land-use types (inner urban, outer urban, suburban, and rural); (2) between pre-and post-1940 built residential structures; and (3) among yard patch types. Lawn soil concentrations of As, Cd, and Pb varied statistically among the land-use types. Differences between inner urban and rural lawn soils varied almost eight-fold for Pb, three-fold for Cd, and more than two-fold for As. Bed patches exhibited a slightly stronger relationship than lawns across the urbanization gradient. A similar relationship was shown for pre-and post-1940 structures with older having higher concentrations than post-1940 structures. Earthworm body burdens were statistically correlated with soil Pb, while isopod burdens exhibited a significant relationship with soil As, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn. A post-hoc analysis with bird blood Pb data that was available for the residences, showed a significant relationship with earthworm Pb body burdens. This study suggests that despite policy efforts to reduce metal emissions, contamination of soil persists in urban residences at levels that have health implications for people and wildlife living in the Baltimore-Washington, DC area.Published by Elsevier B.V.

Assessments of levels, potential ecological risk, and human health risk of heavy metals in the soils from a typical county in Shanxi Province, China

“…In comparison, the heavy metal concentrations appear higher than those in other developed countries. The EFs of heavy metal, such as Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, and Pb, in soil of Washington in America were all below 1 (Pouyat et al 2015). While compared with the soil heavy metal concentrations in developing country, the heavy metals contents of Xiangfen County seems lower.…”

Urban parks provide ecosystem services by retaining metals and nutrients in soils

“…In highly urbanized sites, heavy metal pollution is assumed traffic-derived (Pouyat et al 2010(Pouyat et al , 2015Chen et al, 2005Chen et al, , 2010Yesilonis, 2008;Figuereido et al, 2009;Trammel et al, 2011;Zhao et al, 2016). Furthermore, Kuoppamäki et al (2014) showed that metal concentrations in snow were clearly highest close to roads in the city of Lahti.…”

Corticosterone levels in relation to trace element contamination along an urbanization gradient in the common blackbird (Turdus merula)

“…However, our study shows that this urban-related contamination remains in wild birds, even in moderately urbanized areas. Because this contamination appears persistent even after several years, trace elements can still represent an important threat for wildlife (Pouyat et al, 2015).…”