TOXIC METALS ALONG ROADS

THE LEAD INDUSTRY AND OTHERS ARE STILL TRYING TO CLAIM THAT TOXIC METALS EMITTED INTO THE AIR FROM AUTOMOBILES ARE HARMLESS. WHILE THERE IS STILL DOUBT ABOUT THE HARM TO HUMANS OF BREATHING THE CONTAIMINATED AIR, THERE APPEARS TO BE LESS DOUBT THAT DANGEROUS AMOUNTS OF THE METAL GET INTO ROADSIDE SOIL. NOW THE INTERIOR DEPARTMENT'S FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE REPORTS THAT ANALYSIS OF EARTHWORMS TAKEN FROM SOIL 10, 20, 40, 80, AND 160 FEET FROM U.S. HIGHWAY 1 AND FROM THE BALTIMORE - WASHINGTON PARKWAY, BOTH IN MARYLAND, SHOW HIGH LEVELS OF SEVERAL TOXIC METALS. LEAD AND ZINC WERE IN QUANTITITES THAT WOULD BE FATAL TO BIRDS THAT CONSUMED THE EARTHWORMS, EVEN WHEN THE WORMS WERE 160 FEET FROM THE ROADS IN THE CASE OF ZINC. OTHER METALS FOUND IN THE WORMS WERE NICKEL AND CADMIUM. THE FWS RESEARCHERS SAY THE METALS EVIDENTLY CAME FROM AUTO EMISSIONS. ZINC IS USED IN MOTOR OIL, LEAD IN GASOLINE, CADMIUM IN TIRES, AND NICKEL IN BOTH GASOLINE AND OIL. LEAD AT LEVELS HIGHER THAN THE 200 PARTS PER MILION (PPM) LEVEL KNOWN TO BE FATAL FOR MALLARD DUCKS WAS FOUND ONLY WITHIN 10 FEET OF THE ROADS AND IN LESSER AMOUNTS BEYOND 10 FEET. CADMIUM WAS NOT FOUND AT KNOWN LETHAL LEVELS AT ANY DISTANCE FROM THE ROADS. NICKEL WAS FOUND AT 34.5 PPM 10 FEET FROM THE ROADS, BUT TOXICITY LEVELS FOR NICKEL ARE NOT KNOWN. /ARTICLE/

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00368423
• Publication Date: 1972-10-28

Media Info

• Pagination: p. 280
• Serial:
  • Science News
  • Volume: 102
  • Issue Number: 18
  • Publisher: Science Services, Incorporated
  • ISSN: 0036-8423

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Cadmium; Environmental impacts; Exhaust gases; Highways; Lead (Metal); Measurement; Nickel; Roadside; Zinc
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00205221
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 15 1973 12:00AM