Lead in soils and plants: its relationship to traffic volume and proximity to highways

Journal Article · Sun Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1970 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es60038a009· OSTI ID:5017669

Motto, H L; Daines, R H; Chilko, D M; Motto, C K

Soils and plants sampled along heavily traveled highways show that lead contents tend to increase with traffic volume and decrease with distance from the highway. Much of the lead was present as a removable surface contamination on the plants. The major effect of traffic was limited to the surface soil and to a narrow zone within 100 feet of the highway. Plants grown in the field contained the most lead in the aerial portion and those grown in the greenhouse had the most lead in the roots. These studies indicate plants may obtain lead through both leaves and roots with little translocation within the plant. The fruiting and flowering parts of plants contained the smallest amounts of lead and showed little effect of changes in amounts of lead supplied. 19 references, 1 figure, 5 tables.

• Research Organization: Rutgers, The State Univ. of New Jersey, New Brunswick
• OSTI ID: 5017669
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Vol. 4:3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
LEAD
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
TISSUE DISTRIBUTION
PLANTS
CONTAMINATION
SOILS
AIR POLLUTION
AUTOMOBILES
ENVIRONMENTAL TRANSPORT
EXHAUST GASES
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
LEAVES
POLLUTION SOURCES
ROOTS
SAMPLING
DATA
DISTRIBUTION
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
INFORMATION
MASS TRANSFER
METALS
NUMERICAL DATA
POLLUTION
VEHICLES
WASTES
560303* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Plants- (-1987)
510200 - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)
500200 - Environment
Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)