[1] Aerosol optical properties and the spectral behavior of the aerosol optical depth (AOD) over Kanpur, an urban-industrial city in the Ganga basin, have been presented for the first time. Measurements by the ground-based Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) during January 2001 to December 2003 show pronounced seasonal influence, with maximum dust loading during the premonsoon season (April–May)....

This study investigated the spatial distribution of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), nickel (Ni) and arsenic (As) in roadside topsoil in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and evaluated the potential environmental risks of these roadside heavy metals due to traffic emissions. A total of 120 topsoil samples were collected along five road segments in the Qinghai...

air pollution is today a major problem for modern societies. it has long been recognized as a potentially lethal form of pollution. increasing pollution levels due to rapid urbanization and growth in emission related to vehicular transportation are now caused major concern. the mobilization of heavy metals into the biosphere by human activities has become an important process in the geochemical...

OBJECTIVES This study explored whether differences in environmental lead exposures explain the racial disparity in children's blood lead levels. METHODS Environmental sources of lead were identified for a random sample of 172 urban children. RESULTS Blood lead levels were significantly higher among Black children. Lead-contamination of dust was higher in Black children's homes, and the cond...

Tire dust is a significant pollutant, especially as a source of zinc in the urban environment. This study characterizes the morphology and chemical composition of heavy metal particles embedded in tire dust and traffic-related materials (brake dust, yellow paint, and tire tread) as measured by a field emission scanning electron microscope equipped with an energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (F...

This investigation was performed to provide heavy metal signatures of urban soils, dusts, rainwater and to evaluate potential sources in Arak, Markazi Province. Thirty-one samples of urban soils, 29 dust and16 rainwater samples were collected in Arak city. Then, Pb, Cu, Zn, As and Ni concentrations were determined by using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Application of discriminant analysi...

To investigate whether leaves of plane trees (Platanus orientalis) are damaged by traffic pollution, trees from a megacity (Mashhad, Iran) and a rural area were investigated. Soil and air from the urban centre showed enrichment of several toxic elements, but only lead was enriched in leaves. Leaf size and stomata density were lower at the urban site. At the urban site leaf surfaces were heavily...

Guangzhou is the central city in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China, and is one of the most polluted cities in the world. To characterize the ambient falling dust pollution, two typical sampling sites: urban (Wushan) and suburban (University Town) areas in Guangzhou city were chosen for falling dust collection over 1 year at time intervals of 1 or 2 months. The flux of dry deposition was calcul...

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines on lead hazard control instruct contractors to clean floors, windows, walls, ceilings, and other horizontal surfaces to remove lead-contaminated dust and debris after lead interventions are conducted. This dust removal activity adds costs to each project. The need to clean floors and windows is well documented in the HUD guid...