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Influence of Traffic Activity on Heavy Metal Concentrations of Roadside Farmland Soil in Mountainous Areas

Author

Listed:
  • Fan Zhang

    (Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China)

  • Xuedong Yan

    (MOE Key Laboratory for Urban Transportation Complex Systems Theory and Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China
    State Key Laboratory of Rail Traffic Control and Safety, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Chen Zeng

    (Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China)

  • Man Zhang

    (Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
    MOE Key Laboratory for Urban Transportation Complex Systems Theory and Technology, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing 100044, China)

  • Suraj Shrestha

    (Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44618, Nepal)

  • Lochan Prasad Devkota

    (Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu 44618, Nepal)

  • Tandong Yao

    (Key Laboratory of Tibetan Environment Changes and Land Surface Processes, Institute of Tibetan Plateau, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China)

Abstract

Emission of heavy metals from traffic activities is an important pollution source to roadside farmland ecosystems. However, little previous research has been conducted to investigate heavy metal concentrations of roadside farmland soil in mountainous areas. Owing to more complex roadside environments and more intense driving conditions on mountainous highways, heavy metal accumulation and distribution patterns in farmland soil due to traffic activity could be different from those on plain highways. In this study, design factors including altitude, roadside distance, terrain, and tree protection were considered to analyze their influences on Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb concentrations in farmland soils along a mountain highway around Kathmandu, Nepal. On average, the concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb at the sampling sites are lower than the tolerable levels. Correspondingly, pollution index analysis does not show serious roadside pollution owing to traffic emissions either. However, some maximum Zn, Cd, and Pb concentrations are close to or higher than the tolerable level, indicating that although average accumulations of heavy metals pose no hazard in the region, some spots with peak concentrations may be severely polluted. The correlation analysis indicates that either Cu or Cd content is found to be significantly correlated with Zn and Pb content while there is no significant correlation between Cu and Cd. The pattern can be reasonably explained by the vehicular heavy metal emission mechanisms, which proves the heavy metals’ homology of the traffic pollution source. Furthermore, the independent factors show complex interaction effects on heavy metal concentrations in the mountainous roadside soil, which indicate quite a different distribution pattern from previous studies focusing on urban roadside environments. It is found that the Pb concentration in the downgrade roadside soil is significantly lower than that in the upgrade soil while the Zn concentration in the downgrade roadside soil is marginally higher than in the upgrade soil; and the concentrations of Cu and Pb in the roadside soils with tree protection are significantly lower than those without tree protection. However, the attenuation pattern of heavy metal concentrations as a function of roadside distance within a 100 m range cannot be identified consistently.

Suggested Citation

  • Fan Zhang & Xuedong Yan & Chen Zeng & Man Zhang & Suraj Shrestha & Lochan Prasad Devkota & Tandong Yao, 2012. "Influence of Traffic Activity on Heavy Metal Concentrations of Roadside Farmland Soil in Mountainous Areas," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-17, May.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:9:y:2012:i:5:p:1715-1731:d:17583
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Xuedong Yan & Fan Zhang & Chen Zeng & Man Zhang & Lochan Prasad Devkota & Tandong Yao, 2012. "Relationship between Heavy Metal Concentrations in Soils and Grasses of Roadside Farmland in Nepal," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-18, September.
    2. Xuedong Yan & Fan Zhang & Dan Gao & Chen Zeng & Wang Xiang & Man Zhang, 2013. "Accumulations of Heavy Metals in Roadside Soils Close to Zhaling, Eling and Nam Co Lakes in the Tibetan Plateau," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-17, June.
    3. Peng Shi & Jun Xiao & Yafeng Wang & Liding Chen, 2014. "Assessment of Ecological and Human Health Risks of Heavy Metal Contamination in Agriculture Soils Disturbed by Pipeline Construction," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-17, February.
    4. Maja Radziemska & Joanna Fronczyk, 2015. "Level and Contamination Assessment of Soil along an Expressway in an Ecologically Valuable Area in Central Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-16, October.
    5. Mustafa Demir & Erdihan Tunç & Sören Thiele-Bruhn & Ömer Çelik & Awet Tekeste Tsegai & Nevzat Aslan & Sevgi Arslan, 2023. "Status, Sources and Assessment of Potentially Toxic Element (PTE) Contamination in Roadside Orchard Soils of Gaziantep (Türkiye)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-18, January.
    6. Nattanan Krailertrattanachai & Daojarus Ketrot & Worachart Wisawapipat, 2019. "The Distribution of Trace Metals in Roadside Agricultural Soils, Thailand," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-12, February.
    7. Guanxing Wang & Xuedong Yan & Fan Zhang & Chen Zeng & Dan Gao, 2013. "Traffic-Related Trace Element Accumulation in Roadside Soils and Wild Grasses in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-17, December.
    8. Ionuţ-Mihai Prundeanu & Ciprian Chelariu & Sorin-Ionuț Balaban & Ovidiu-Gabriel Iancu, 2020. "Distribution and Behaviour of Some Trace Elements as a Function of Apple Varieties in Northeastern Romania," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-18, April.
    9. Sisira S. Withanachchi & Giorgi Ghambashidze & Ilia Kunchulia & Teo Urushadze & Angelika Ploeger, 2018. "Water Quality in Surface Water: A Preliminary Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination of the Mashavera River, Georgia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-25, March.
    10. Xuedong Yan & Dan Gao & Fan Zhang & Chen Zeng & Wang Xiang & Man Zhang, 2013. "Relationships between Heavy Metal Concentrations in Roadside Topsoil and Distance to Road Edge Based on Field Observations in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-14, February.

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