Skip to main content

Advertisement

Springer Nature Link
Log in

Investigations of road sediment in an industrial corridor near low-income housing in Hamilton, Ohio

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The City of Hamilton, Ohio, is representative of numerous post-industrial midwestern cities that face a long-term environmental recovery from an extensive legacy of manufacturing. One area of concern is the extent and nature of metal pollution. This investigation is a survey of road sediment from an industrial corridor near low-income housing that is dominantly an African-American community. Linear correlations of geogenic elements are indicative of a single dominant geochemical source contributing to the region, and the compositions are consistent with previous background studies. Pb, Zn, and Cu are the major pollutants and samples exceed the mean concentrations compared to selected global sites by 66.7 % for Pb, 77.8 % for Zn, and 72.2 % for Cu. Correlations exist between several of the elements of concern, including zinc and copper, lead and chromium, zinc, and lead. In some cases, these correlations show multiple populations are present, suggesting that there are multiple sources of pollution with elemental signatures. Significant heterogeneity of metal pollution in the City of Hamilton exists, and complexities arise in a precise interpretation as heterogeneity may result from primary deposition of pollutants and secondary mobilization of pollutants or mixtures. Metals are mobilized, and Mn-oxides in the system appears to play a more important role than Fe-oxides in metal sequestration. GIS mapping of concentrations of some of the elements of concern shows spatial clustering dominantly near a metal recycling facility. This investigation compliments existing environmental studies of the region and demonstrates the need for more environmental forensic investigations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+
from $39.99 /Month
  • Starting from 10 chapters or articles per month
  • Access and download chapters and articles from more than 300k books and 2,500 journals
  • Cancel anytime
View plans

Buy Now

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

Explore related subjects

Discover the latest articles, books and news in related subjects, suggested using machine learning.

References

  • Acosta JA, Faz Á, Kalbitz K, Jansen B, Martínez- Martínez S (2011) Heavy metal concentrations in particle size fractions from street dust of Murcia (Spain) as a basis for risk assessment. J Environ Monit 13:3087–3096

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adachi K, Tainosho Y (2004) Characterization of heavy metal particles embedded in tire dust. Environ Int 30:1009–1017

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adams JP, Kirst R, Kearns LE, Krekeler MPS (2009) Mn-oxides and sequestration of heavy metals in a suburban catchment basin of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Environ Geol 58:1269–1280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Akhter MS, Madany IM (1993) Heavy metals in street and house dust in Bahrain. Water Air Soil Pollut 66:111–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alain E, Begin D, Furdin G, Mareche JF (1996) SEM observations of mesophase spherule formation during the pyrolysis of coal tar pitch in the presence of FeCl3-graphite. Carbon 34:682–685

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alvarez M, Sileo EE, Rueda EH (2004) Effect of Mn(II) incorporation on the transformation of ferrihydrite to goethite. Chem Geol 216:89–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amrhein C, Strong JE, Mosher PA (1992) Effect of deicing salts on metal and organic matter mobilization in roadside soils. Environ Sci Technol 26:703–709

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bäckström M, Stefan K, Bäckström L, Lennart F, Bo L (2004) Mobilization of heavy metals by deicing salts in a roadside environment. Water Res 38:720–732

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Barnes M, Silverstein J, Krekeler MPS (2014) Geochemical and mineralogical investigations of the Wisconsin age Glacial till of Peffer park, Oxford, Ohio: an important environmental reference material for metal pollution studies. Abstracts and Program of the Southeastern Section of the Geological Society of America Meeting, Paper 45-9

  • Blaha U, Sapkota B, Appel E, Stanjek H, Rosler W (2008) Micro-scale grain size analysis and magnetic properties of coal fired power plant fly ash and its relevance for environmental magnetic pollution studies. Atmos Environ 42:8359–8370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boyd TJ, Wolgast DM, Rivera-Duarte I, Holm-Hansen O, Hewes CD, Zirino A, Chadwick DB (2005) Effects of dissolved and complexed copper on heterotrophic bacterial production in Sand Diego Bay. Microb Ecol 49:353–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burnett RT, Brook J, Dann T, Delocla C, Phillips O, Cakmak S, Vincent R, Goldberg MS, Krewski D (2000) Association between particulate- and gas-phase components of urban air pollution and daily mortality in eight Canadian cities. Inhal Toxicol 12:15–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Charlesworth S, Everett M, McCarthy R, Ordoñex A, deMiguel EA (2003) A comparative study of heavy metal concentration and distribution in deposited Midlands, UK. Environ Int 29:563–573

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chon HT, Ahn JSG, Jung MC (1995) Metal contamination of soils and dusts in Seoul metropolitan city, Korea. Environ Geochem Health 17:23–37

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis AP, Mohammad S, Shubei N (2001) Loading estimates of lead, copper, cadmium, and zinc in urban runoff from specific sources. Chemosphere 44:997–1009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeMiguel E, Llamas JF, Chacon E, Berg T, Larssen S, Røyset O, Vadset M (1997) Origin and patterns of distribution of trace elements in street dust: unleaded petrol and urban lead. Atmos Environ 31:2733–2740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Droppo IG, Irvine KN, Murphy TP, Jaskot C (1998) Fractional metals in street dust of a mixed land use sewershed, Hamilton, Ontario. Hydrol Chang Environ III:384–394

    Google Scholar 

  • Fergusson JE, Ryan DE (1984) The elemental composition of street dust from large and small urban areas related to city type, source and particle size. Sci Total Environ 34:101–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ford RG, Bertsch PM, Farley KJ (1997) Changes in transition and heavy metal portioning during hydrous iron oxide aging. Environ Sci Technol 31:2028–2033

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gobel P, Dierkes C, Coldewey WC (2007) Storm water runoff concentration matrix for urban areas. J Contam Hydrol 91:26–42

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Han Y, Du P, Posmentier ES, Cao J (2006) Multivariate analysis of heavy metal contamination in urban dusts of Xi’an, Central China. Sci Total Environ 355:176–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harrison RM, Laxen DPH, Wilson SL (1981) Chemical associations of lead, cadmium, copper and zinc in street dusts and roadside soils. Environ Sci Technol 15:1378–1383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hiemstra T, Van Riemsdijk WH (1999) Surface structural ion adsorption modeling of competitive binding oxyanions by metal(hydr)oxides. J Colloid Interface Sci 210:182–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hirshon JM, Shardell M, Alles S, Powell JL, Squibb K, Ondov J, Blaisdell CJ (2008) Elevated ambient air zinc increases pediatric asthma morbidity. Environ Health Perspect 116:826–831

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hopke PK, Lamb RE, Natusch DFS (1980) Multielemental characterization of urban roadway dust. Environ Sci Technol 14:164–172

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jarup L (2003) Hazards of heavy metal contamination. Br Med Bull 68:167–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jomova K, Valko M (2011) Advances in metal-induced oxidative stress and human disease. Toxicology 283:65–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Junta JL, Hochella MF (1994) Manganese (II) oxidation at mineral surfaces: a microscopic study. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 58:4985–4999

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Junta-Rosso J, Hochella MF, Rimstidt D (1997) Linking microscopic and macroscopic data for heterogeneous reactions illustrated by the oxidation of manganese(II) at mineral surfaces. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 61:149–159

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kim JY, Myung JH, Ahn JS, Chon HT (1998) Heavy metal speciation in dusts and stream sediments in the Taejon area, Korea. J Geochem Explor 64:409–419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kutchko BG, Kim AG (2006) Fly ash characterization by SEM-EDS. Fuel 85:2537–2544

    Google Scholar 

  • Langmuir D (1997) Aqueous Environmental chemistry. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Lanphear BP, Matte TD, Rogers J, Clickner RP, Dietz B, Bornschein RL, Succop P, Mahaffey KR, Dixon S, Galke W, Rabinowitz M, Farfel M, Rohde C, Schwartz J, Ashley P, Jacobs DE (1998) The contribution of lead-contaminated house dust and residential soil to children’s blood levels. Environ Res 79:51–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LeGalley E, Krekeler MPS (2013) A mineralogical and geochemical investigation of street sediment near a coal-fired power plant in Hamilton, Ohio: an example of complex pollution and cause for community health concerns. Environ Pollut 176:26–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LeGalley E, Widom E, Krekeler MPS, Kuentz DC (2013) Chemical and lead isotope constraints on sources of metal pollution in street sediment and lichens in southwest Ohio. Appl Geochem 32:195–203

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li XD, Poon CS, Pui SL (2001) Heavy metal contamination of urban soils and street dusts in Hong Kong. Appl Geochem 16:1361–1368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li Z, Feng X, Li G, Bi X, Zhu J, Qin H, Dai Z, Liu J, Li Q, Sun G (2013) Distributions, sources and pollution status of 17 trace metal/metalloids in the street dust of a heavily industrialized city of central China. Environ Pollut 186:408–416

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu XW, Wang LJ, Lei K, Huan J, Zhai YX (2009) Contamination assessment of copper, lead, zinc, manganese and nickel in street dust of Baoji, NW China. J Hazard Mater 161:1058–1062

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martuzevicius D, Grinshpun SA, Reponen T, Górny R, Shukla R, Lockey J, Hu S, McDonald R, Biswas P, Kliucininkas L, LeMasters G (2004) Spatial and temporal variations of PM2.5 concentration and composition through an urban area with high freeway density—the Greater Cincinnati study. Atmos Environ 38:1091–1105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McHugh KC, Widom E, Spitz HB, Glover SE (2015) Analysis of a sugar maple tree core for monitoring environmental uranium contamination. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 307:1691–1696

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra SK, Sansalone JJ, Singh VP (2004) Partitioning analog for metal elements in urban rainfall-runoff overland flow using the soil conservation service curve number concept. J Environ Eng 130:145–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Müller G (1969) Index of geoaccumulation in sediments of the Rhine River. GeoJournal 2:108–110

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Reilly SE, Hochella MF (2003) Lead sorption efficiencies of natural and synthetic Mn and Fe-oxides. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 67:4471–4487

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pope CA, Thun MJ, Namboodiri MM, Dockery DW, Evans JS, Speizer FE, Heath CW (1995) Particulate air pollution as a predictor of mortality in a prospective study of US adults. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 151:669–674

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pope CA, Burnett RT, Thun MJ, Calle EE, Krewski D, Ito K, Thurston GD (2002) Lung cancer, cardiopulmonary mortality, and long-term exposure to fine particulate air pollution. J Am Med Assoc 287:1132–1141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pope CA, Ezzati M, Dockery DW (2009) Fine-particulate air pollution and life expectancy in the United States. New Engl J Med 360:376–386

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Post JE (1999) Manganese oxide minerals: crystal structures and economic and environmental significance. Proc Natl Acad Sci 96:3447–3454

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prieditis H, Adamson IYR (2002) Comparative pulmonary toxicity of various soluble metals found in urban particulate dusts. Exp Lung Res 28:563–576

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rasmussen PE, Subramanian SK, Jessiman BJ (2001) A multi-element profile of house dust in relation to exterior dust and soils in the city of Ottawa, Canada. Sci Total Environ 267:125–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheidegger AM, Lamble GM, Sparks DL (1997) Spectroscopic evidence for the formation of mixed-cation hydroxide phases upon metal sorption of clays and aluminum oxides. J Colloid Interf Sci 186:118–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheinost AC, Stanjek H, Schulze DG, Gasser U, Sparks DL (2001) Structural environment and oxidation state of Mn in goethite-groutite solid-solutions. Am Miner 86:139–146

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi G, Chen Z, Xu S, Zhang J, Wang L, Bi C, Teng J (2008) Potentially toxic metal contamination of urban soils and roadside dust in Shanghai, China. Environ Pollut 156:251–260

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sokol EV, Kalugin VM, Nigmatulina EN, Volkova NI, Frenkel AE, Maksimova NV (2002) Ferrospheres from fly ashes of Chelyabinsk coals: composition, morphology and formation conditions. Fuel 81:867–876

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sparks KM, Johnson BB, Wells JD (1995) Characterizing heavy-metal adsorption on oxides and oxyhydroxides. Eur J Soil Sci 46:621–631

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stumm W, Morgan JJ (1970) Aquatic chemistry. Wiley, New York, p 583

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutherland RA, Tolosa CA (2000) Multi-element analysis of road-deposited sediment in an urban drainage basin, Honolulu, Hawaii. Environ Pollut 110:483–495

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tebo BM, Bargar JR, Clement BG, Dick GJ, Murray KJ, Parker D, Verity R, Webb SM (2004) Biogenic manganese oxides: properties and mechanics of formation. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 32:287–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tortorello R, Widom E, Renwick WH (2013) Use of uranium isotopes as a temporal and spatial tracer of nuclear contamination in the environment. J Environ Radioact 124:287–300

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tselepis-Loertscher C (2011) Investigation of heterogeneous oxidation of Mn(II) and oxide formation on natural and synthetic goethite. M.S. Thesis, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

  • Tully J (2013) An electron microscopy and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy investigation of Great Miami River sediment pollution in the industrialized landscape of Hamilton, Ohio. M.S. Thesis, Miami University, p 104

  • Turer D, Maynard JB, Sansalone JJ (2001) Heavy metal contamination in soils of urban highways: comparison between runoff and soil concentrations at Cincinnati, Ohio. Water Air Soil Pollut 132:293–314

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Valko M, Morris H, Cronin MTD (2005) Metals, toxicity and oxidative stress. Curr Med Chem 12:1161–1208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei B, Jiang F, Li X, Mu S (2010) Heavy metal induced ecological risk in the city of Urumqi, NW China. Environ Monit Assess 160:33–45

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • White K, Detherage T, Verellen M, Tully J, Krekeler MPS (2014) An investigation of lead chromate (crocite-PbCrO4) and other inorganic pigments in aged traffic paint samples from Hamilton, Ohio: implications for lead in the environment. Environ Earth Sci 71:3517–3528

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wojas B, Almquist C (2007) Mass concentrations and metals speciation of PM2.5, PM10, and total suspended solids in Oxford, Ohio and comparisons with those from metropolitan sites in the Greater Cincinnati region. Atmos Environ 41:9064–9078

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Miami University Hamilton for funds for analytical work. We thank Dr. John Morton with assistance with ICP-OES work. We thank Matt Duley and Dr. Richard Edelmann of Miami University’s CAMI facility for general assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology & Environmental Earth Science, Miami University Hamilton, Hamilton, OH, 45011, USA

    Lonnie Flett, Mark P. S. Krekeler & Michelle Burke

Authors
  1. Lonnie Flett
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mark P. S. Krekeler
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Michelle Burke
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mark P. S. Krekeler.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Flett, L., Krekeler, M.P.S. & Burke, M. Investigations of road sediment in an industrial corridor near low-income housing in Hamilton, Ohio. Environ Earth Sci 75, 1156 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5945-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-5945-2

Keywords