wAbstract
@Automobile traffic pollutes roadside environments with a range
of contaminants. In this study, we investigate the distribution
patterns of different contaminant classes in topsoils across a
highway-forest interface north-east of Vienna, Austria, in order
to assess spatial pollutant distribution and evaluate the filtering
effect of roadside forests. We collected soil samples along transects
perpendicular to the highway, and analyzed the soils for road
salt residues (Na), total and mobile heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cu,
Zn, Ni, Cr) as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Roadside soil pollution was highly heterogeneous. All contaminants
followed an exponential-like decrease with distance from the road,
reaching background levels at 5 to 10 m from the road curb. Traffic-born
heavy metals in the immediate roadside zone tended to be more
mobile than heavy metals of predominantly geogenic origin at greater
distances from the road; the presence of road salt residues could
have contributed to the elevated heavy metal mobility near the
road. The forest vegetation acted as filter for PAHs shown by
a sharp concentration increase at the forest edge. PAHs are likely
transported with airborne soot particles that are scavenged by
the wax-coated coniferous needles at our study site.
Keywords: Benzo(a)pyrene; Cadmium; Chromium; Copper; Fluoranthene;
Lead; Nickel; Sodium chloride; Zincx
1. Introduction
2. Materials and methods
@2.1. Study area and soil sampling
@2.2. Laboratory analyses
3. Results and discussion
@3.1. Road salt residues
@3.2. Heavy metals
@3.3. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)
4. Conclusions
References