title: Metal contamination of urban soils in the vicinity of a municipal waste incinerator: one source among many.
abstract: Concern from local residents about possible contamination with metals and PCDD/F (dioxins and furans) from fugitive and stack emissions from the Byker municipal solid waste incinerator in Newcastle upon Tyne led the City Council to initiate a study of the concentration of these pollutants in soils. We report here the results for the metals and arsenic. Soils were sampled at distances up to 2.25 km from the incinerator stack. The intensity of sampling in concentric zones was four times greater in the northeast (down-wind) direction, and twice as great in the northwest and southeast directions, compared to the southwest (up-wind) direction. In total 163 samples were collected and analyzed for total As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Concentrations were generally elevated above background levels, but were typical of those found in other urban areas. For As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn, contamination hotspots were identified. These were spread throughout the sampling area, and there was no evidence of greater concentrations down-wind of the incinerator compared to other directions, nor of any trend in concentration at increasing distance from the incinerator. We concluded that metal contamination resulting from the incinerator could not be detected in an environment with generally elevated concentrations. Potential sources for many of the hotspots of contamination were identified in a survey of historic land use based on maps of the locality dating back to 1856. Detailed investigations of particular areas with serious contamination will now be undertaken by the local authorities using the CLEA (Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment) model.
authors.affiliation: School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Drummond Building, Institute for Research on the Environment and Sustainability, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK. david.rimmer@ncl.ac.uk
authors.forename: David L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Rimmer
authors.forename: Catherine G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Vizard
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Pless-Mulloli
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Singleton
authors.forename: Vivienne S
authors.initials: VS
authors.lastname: Air
authors.forename: Zoe A F
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Keatinge
mesh_terms: D001151:Arsenic / Q000032:analysis*; D002947:Cities; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D006256:Hazardous Waste / Q000032:analysis*; D017745:Incineration; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D006256:Hazardous Waste; D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D001151:Arsenic