The environmental pollution with copper and zinc along the communication routes in Wrocław, Poland

Abstract

Copper and zinc concentrations in soils and grasses near selected communication routes in Wrocław, Poland have been determined. Environmental samples were collected from the surface layer of the soil profile within 3 m from the edge of the road. The analysis of metals in the mineralizates has been carried out by atomic absorptive spectroscopy (AAS). The conductivity and pH of the soil solutions were measured to evaluate the salinity of the soils and also their active and exchangeable acidity. There have been determined the parameters characterizing the content of metals in soils and grasses, the index of the enrichment of soils in zinc and copper (Wn), the bioaccumulation coefficient (WB), histograms of the frequency of metals occurrence in environmental samples. Also it was presented the Pearson's r correlation coefficients for the relationships: Zn in soil/Cu in soil, Zn in grass/Cu in grass, Cu in grass/Cu in soil, Zn in grass/Zn in soil. The research does not indicate exceeding of the permissible content of copper and zinc in the environment. However, in all samples higher content of the metals compared to the geochemical background have been observed.

Assessment of Heavy Metal Content in Soils Adjacent to the DK16-Route in Olsztyn (North-Eastern Poland)

“…In the majority of cases, however, the levels of trace elements in soil along Sielska Street were lower than given in the literature. This was true for Pb [4-5, 13-15, 18, 20], Ni [4-5, 18, 20], Cd [5,20,29], Co [4], Cu [4-5, 12-13, 15], Zn [4][5][12][13] and Mn [4][5]. Few samples yielded metal content higher than cited in the literature [4,11,20,29].…”

“…Heavy metals like Cr, Zn, Pb and Cu emitted due to road traffic are mainly found on particulate matter suspended in the air, where they are a serious threat to the environment [2,9]. Emission of pollutants from expressways is relatively low, but due to frequent pulling down and accelerating [10], it grows in these areas where roads pass through urban agglomerations [10][11][12], as a result of which trace elements accumulate in soil [13]. The principal sources of heavy metals along transportation routes, apart from exhaust fumes, are the wear of tyres, car brake and clutch linings, as well as the wear of road surface and other road facilities and construction elements [2,9,12,[14][15].…”

“…Emission of pollutants from expressways is relatively low, but due to frequent pulling down and accelerating [10], it grows in these areas where roads pass through urban agglomerations [10][11][12], as a result of which trace elements accumulate in soil [13]. The principal sources of heavy metals along transportation routes, apart from exhaust fumes, are the wear of tyres, car brake and clutch linings, as well as the wear of road surface and other road facilities and construction elements [2,9,12,[14][15]. The wear of car brake shoes causes mainly the emission of Cu [9,[16][17], Pb [2], Zn and Cr, while the wear of tyres results in the emission of mainly Zn and Pb [2,9,16].…”

“…The wear of car brake shoes causes mainly the emission of Cu [9,[16][17], Pb [2], Zn and Cr, while the wear of tyres results in the emission of mainly Zn and Pb [2,9,16]. Concentrations of trace elements in soil along roads are the highest in the ground directly adjacent to a street or a road, and decrease at a growing distance from thereof [3,10,12,18]. The spatial distribution of this pollution is also dependent on the prevalent direction and power of wind, type and duration of atmospheric precipitations, the intensity of traffic [18][19].…”

The Content of Heavy Metals (Cu, Zn, Cr, Ni, Pb) in The Soil Near The Arterial Roads in Wroclaw (Poland)

“…Pollution of the atmosphere and the soil is often caused by the exploitation of vehicles constructed with out-of-date production technologies. Anthropogenic sources of heavy metals in soils along the roads most commonly include: liquid spills of transported cargo, leakages of fluid operating systems of the car (Pb: liquid in the battery, formerly a component of gasoline), exploitation of wear parts of vehicles (Pb -in the bearing and solder alloys, covers of the electric cables, Pb and Ni in anti-corrosion agents, Cu in the brake system and radiator), abrasion of car tires (Zn), accidents and collisions (Cr in paints and varnishes) and dusts appearing as a result of incomplete combustion of diesel fuels and abrasion of brake pads and the clutch [1][2][3][4]. The concentrations of heavy metals in soils of Poland were shown in Table 1.…”