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- Title
Assessing heavy metal contamination in a Brazilian metropolis: a case study with a focus on (bio)indicators.
- Authors
Lima, Luiz Henrique Vieira; da Silva, Fernando Bruno Vieira; Araújo, Paula Renata Muniz; Alvarez, Alfredo Montero; Pôrto, Kátia Cavalcanti; do Nascimento, Clístenes Williams Araújo
- Abstract
The continuous expansion of the global vehicle fleet poses a growing threat to environmental quality through heavy metal contamination. In this scenario, monitoring to safeguard public health in urban areas is necessary. Our study involved the collection of 36 street dust and 29 moss samples from roads of a Brazilian metropolis (Recife) with varying traffic intensities as follows: natural reserve (0 vehicles per day), low (< 15,000 vehicles per day), medium (15,000–30,000 vehicles per day), and high (> 30,000 vehicles per day). ICP-AES analysis was performed to determine the concentrations of nine potentially toxic metals (Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, V, and Zn) to assess the influence of vehicular flow on urban contamination. In the street dust samples, the mean metal concentrations (mg kg−1) exhibited the following order: Ba (503.7) > Mn (303.0) > Zn (144.4) > Cu (95.3) > Cr (56.1) > Pb (34.2) > V (28.7) > Ni (11.3) > Cd (1.5). Conversely, in the moss samples, the metal concentration order was as follows (mg kg−1): Mn (63.8) > Zn (62.5) > Ba (61.0) > Cu (17.7) > Cr (8.0) > V (7.3) > Pb (7.0) > Ni (2.9) > Cd (0.3). Roads with higher traffic volumes exhibited the highest metal enrichments in moss samples for all metals and in dust samples for Cd, Cr, Mn, Ni, and V. However, dust from low-flow roads had higher enrichments for Ba, Cu, and Zn, indicating the influential role of other traffic-related factors in metal deposition. Our findings highlight traffic flow as the predominant source of pollution in urban centers, with both street dust and moss serving as sensitive indicators of metal input attributable to vehicular traffic. These indicators offer valuable insights for urban quality monitoring and pollution control efforts.
- Subjects
HEAVY metals; TRACE elements; URBAN health; TRACE metals; COPPER; METROPOLIS; ENVIRONMENTAL quality; DUST
- Publication
Environmental Monitoring & Assessment, 2024, Vol 196, Issue 5, p1
- ISSN
0167-6369
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s10661-024-12661-8