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Assessment of loose and adhered urban street sediments and trace metals: a study in the city of Poços de Caldas, Brazil

  • Urban Soils and Sediments
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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to quantify and characterise sediments accumulated in the street gutters in an urban area of Poços de Caldas, Brazil. The main research questions are: What type of urban areas, e.g. those under construction, produce most sediments and what are the main characteristics of such sediments? What differences, e.g. granulometry, can be found in loose and adhered sediments? What trace metals can be found in the sediments?

Materials and methods

Fieldwork was carried out in a residential area of Poços de Caldas, Brazil. Ten samplings were conducted between May and August 2013 to collect sediments from road gutters. The collected sediments were then divided into ‘loose’ and ‘adhered’, depending on whether they were collected in a first, gentle, sweeping with soft bristled brush or in a subsequent sweeping with a stiff bristled brush. Granulometric curves were drawn for both types of sediments. Fine sediment analyses (≤63 μm) were performed on samples from the last five samplings. Two techniques were used to look for trace elements: energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES).

Results and discussion

Larger amounts of sediments were collected after lower intensity rainfall events. Higher intensity events seemed to wash the sediments away. A correlation was found between areas under construction and sediment mass production. A characteristic range of granulometries (medium sand), found in our study is in accordance with studies by other authors. An important presence of heavy metals (Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, Ni and Cu) was detected and characterised. As and Sn were also detected even though they are not often mentioned in the literature on urban soil pollutants.

Conclusions

Areas under construction were found to produce more sediments than other areas. The trace metals found in highest concentrations were Pb and As. The heavy metal concentration decreases after wet periods, showing that they are carried by runoff. It is expected that this study may serve as an input for establishing diffuse pollution control and mitigation strategies for the accumulation of pollutants in the urban environment.

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Acknowledgements

The present study had the support of Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior-Brasil (CAPES) under the program ‘Ciência sem Fronteiras (CSF)’, project n.88881.030412/2013-01.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Science and Technology, Federal University of Alfenas, Rodovia José Aurélio Vilela, 11999, (BR 267 Km 533), Cidade Universitária, CEP 37715-400, Poços de Caldas, Brazil

    Alexandre Silveira, Flávio A. Gonçalves & Livia A. Alvarenga

  2. Graduate Program in Science and Environmental Engineering, Federal University of Alfenas, Rodovia José Aurélio Vilela, 11999, (BR 267 Km 533), Cidade Universitária, CEP 37715-400, Poços de Caldas, Brazil

    José A. Pereira Jr.

  3. Institute of Hydraulic Research, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500-Agronomia, CEP 91501-970, Porto Alegre, Brazil

    Cristiano Poleto

  4. Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Sciences and Technology, University of Coimbra, Rua Luís Reis Santos - Pólo II, 3030-788, Coimbra, Portugal

    João L. M. P. de Lima

  5. Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre (MARE), Coimbra, Portugal

    Alexandre Silveira, João L. M. P. de Lima & Jorge M. P. G. Isidoro

  6. Department of Civil Engineering, University of Algarve, Campus da Penha, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal

    Jorge M. P. G. Isidoro

Authors
  1. Alexandre Silveira
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  2. José A. Pereira Jr.
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  3. Cristiano Poleto
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  4. João L. M. P. de Lima
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  5. Flávio A. Gonçalves
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  6. Livia A. Alvarenga
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  7. Jorge M. P. G. Isidoro
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Correspondence to Alexandre Silveira.

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Responsible editor: Pariente Sarah

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Silveira, A., Jr., J.A.P., Poleto, C. et al. Assessment of loose and adhered urban street sediments and trace metals: a study in the city of Poços de Caldas, Brazil. J Soils Sediments 16, 2640–2650 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-016-1467-5

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