Time-Dependent Increase of Traffic-Emitted Platinum-Group Elements (PGE) in Different Environmental Compartments

Abstract

During the past decade, the traffic-related emission of Pt, Rh, and Pd has strongly increased resulting in growing concentrations in specific environmental areas. To distinguish different aspects of time-dependent development, PGE (platinum-group elements) concentrations and element ratios in urban dust, road-dusts, soil, and sewage sludge samples collected over the past decade were determined. The short-term variation of PGE concentrations and element ratios in road dust is due to wind and rain, whereas the long-term trend reflects the changing proportions of PGE used for converter production. At a typical urban site the daily deposition rate of Pt in airborne dust is up to 23 ng m -2 . In soil, the total input of PGE has been accumulated since the introduction of converter technology. Because of very low background values, this contamination results in rapidly increasing PGE concentrations, showing multiplied values over a period of 2 years at a typical highway site. The integration of these data permits an estimate of the total accumulation of PGE and mean emission rates that are significantly higher than experimental results from stationary motor experiments. Runoff contributes to the composition of sewage but seems to be less important, compared to other sources, in total PGE input into urban sewage sludge.

Coupling of a Column System with ICP-MS for the Characterisation of Colloid-mediated Metal(loid) Transport in Porous Media

“…The determination of colloids was conducted by means of UV detection. The quantification of the metal(loid) ions was carried out in two different ways: (1) The fractions collected at the column outlet were analysed with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) (offline measurements); (2) the column system was directly coupled with ICP-MS (online measurements). In the column experiments the influence of laponite colloids on the transport of Cu, Pb, Zn, Pt and As species was investigated.…”

Greenland Snow Evidence of Large Scale Atmospheric Contamination for Platinum, Palladium, and Rhodium

“…To assess this dispersion of PGMs into the environment, it is critically important to obtain time series of their changing occurrence in environmental archives from prehuman activities times to present; it is indeed the only way to put into proper perspective the elevated PGMs concentration levels observed in different environmental compartments nowadays (11,12,15,18,19). Unfortunately, the time series which have been obtained so far are for short time intervals only and do not include data for very ancient samples which can allow for the assessment of natural baseline levels (20).…”

“…Unfortunately, the time series which have been obtained so far are for short time intervals only and do not include data for very ancient samples which can allow for the assessment of natural baseline levels (20).…”

Graphene Oxide–Antimony Nanocomposite Sensor for Analysis of Platinum Group Metals in Roadside Soil Samples

“…The Pt: Pd ratios in environmental samples and the results of solubility experiments have suggested that Pd is more soluble than Pt or Rh and thus more susceptible to aqueous transport, resulting in its possible higher levels in the environment [44]. The results obtained for the AdDPCSV and ICP-MS analysis in this study was also compared to the results obtained in other related studies.…”