HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Culbard, E.B. Articles by Thompson, M. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Culbard, E.B. Articles by Thompson, M. GeoRef GeoRef Citation Agricola Articles by Culbard, E.B. Articles by Thompson, M.

Metal Contamination in British Urban Dusts and Soils

Applied Geochemistry Res. Group, Dep. of Geology, Royal School of Mines, Imperial College of Sci. and Technol., London SW7 2BP. U.K.

^* Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

Results obtained from the largest national survey of metals in urban dusts and soils carried out to date confirm the presence of elevated concentrations of Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn. The geometric mean concentrations of Pb in 5235 housedusts and 4650 garden soils collected in 53 locations in Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) are 580 and 298 mg kg^–1, respectively. Variations between locations are considerable with housedusts ranging from 205 mg kg^–1 for Ayr in Scotland to 1870 mg kg^–1 for an historic mining area located in Derbyshire, England. Regression analysis has been used to fit a multivariate model to the data for Pb in housedust to provide information on the environmental factors that might contribute to the accumulation of metals in housedust. Inclusion of a number of predictor variables for Pb in housedust accounted for some 33% of the variance, with the remainder of the variation attributable to other factors. Lead concentrations in housedust are significantly and positively related to (i) Pb concentrations in garden soil, (ii) the area of exposed soil surrounding the house, (iii) the presence of high Pb-containing paints used inside the house, and (iv) instances of recent redecoration. Concentrations are highest in older homes.

Key Words: Urban contamination • Lead • Cadmium • Copper • Zinc • Metal accumulation

Supported by a grant from the United Kingdom Dep. of the Environment.

Received for publication December 27, 1985.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. Sajn Using attic dust and soil for the separation of anthropogenicand geogenic elemental distributions in an old metallurgic area (Celje, Slovenia) Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis, February 1, 2005; 5(1): 59 - 67. [Abstract] [Full Text]