Contributory science reveals insights into metal pollution trends across different households and environmental media
Heavy metals are prevalent in urban settings due to many legacy and modern pollution sources, and are essential to quantify because of the adverse health effects associated with them. Of particular importance is lead (Pb), because there is no safe level of exposure, and it especially harms children....
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acbaad |
| _version_ | 1797747374637973504 |
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| author | Matthew Dietrich Leah R Wood John T Shukle Angela Herrmann Gabriel M Filippelli |
| author_facet | Matthew Dietrich Leah R Wood John T Shukle Angela Herrmann Gabriel M Filippelli |
| author_sort | Matthew Dietrich |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Heavy metals are prevalent in urban settings due to many legacy and modern pollution sources, and are essential to quantify because of the adverse health effects associated with them. Of particular importance is lead (Pb), because there is no safe level of exposure, and it especially harms children. Through our partnership with community scientists in the Marion County (Indiana, United States) area ( n = 162 households), we measured Pb and other heavy metal concentrations in soil, paint, and dust. Community scientists completed sampling with screening kits and samples were analyzed in the laboratory via x-ray fluorescence by researchers to quantify heavy metal concentrations, with Pb hazards reported back to participants. Results point to renters being significantly ( p ≤ 0.05) more likely to contain higher concentrations of Pb, zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) in their soil versus homeowners, irrespective of soil sampling location at the home. Housing age was significantly negatively correlated with Pb and Zn in soil and Pb in dust across all homes. Analysis of paired soil, dust, and paint samples revealed several important relationships such as significant positive correlations between indoor vacuum dust Pb, dust wipe Pb, and outdoor soil Pb. Our collective results point to rental status being an important determinant of metal pollution exposure in Indianapolis, with housing age being reflective of both past and present Zn and Pb pollution at the household scale in dust and soil. Thus, future environmental pollution work examining renters versus homeowners, as well as other household data such as home condition and resident race/ethnicity, is imperative for better understanding environmental disparities surrounding not just Pb, but other heavy metals in environmental media as well. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:50:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-59600ddc4ed541bea675b59bcc83dadf |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:50:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-59600ddc4ed541bea675b59bcc83dadf2023-08-09T15:13:53ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262023-01-0118303401310.1088/1748-9326/acbaadContributory science reveals insights into metal pollution trends across different households and environmental mediaMatthew Dietrich0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4464-5340Leah R Wood1John T Shukle2Angela Herrmann3Gabriel M Filippelli4Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis , Indianapolis, IN, United States of America; The Polis Center, IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis , Indianapolis, IN, United States of AmericaDepartment of Earth Sciences, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis , Indianapolis, IN, United States of AmericaDepartment of Earth Sciences, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis , Indianapolis, IN, United States of AmericaDepartment of Earth Sciences, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis , Indianapolis, IN, United States of AmericaDepartment of Earth Sciences, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis , Indianapolis, IN, United States of America; Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington , Bloomington, IN, United States of AmericaHeavy metals are prevalent in urban settings due to many legacy and modern pollution sources, and are essential to quantify because of the adverse health effects associated with them. Of particular importance is lead (Pb), because there is no safe level of exposure, and it especially harms children. Through our partnership with community scientists in the Marion County (Indiana, United States) area ( n = 162 households), we measured Pb and other heavy metal concentrations in soil, paint, and dust. Community scientists completed sampling with screening kits and samples were analyzed in the laboratory via x-ray fluorescence by researchers to quantify heavy metal concentrations, with Pb hazards reported back to participants. Results point to renters being significantly ( p ≤ 0.05) more likely to contain higher concentrations of Pb, zinc (Zn), and copper (Cu) in their soil versus homeowners, irrespective of soil sampling location at the home. Housing age was significantly negatively correlated with Pb and Zn in soil and Pb in dust across all homes. Analysis of paired soil, dust, and paint samples revealed several important relationships such as significant positive correlations between indoor vacuum dust Pb, dust wipe Pb, and outdoor soil Pb. Our collective results point to rental status being an important determinant of metal pollution exposure in Indianapolis, with housing age being reflective of both past and present Zn and Pb pollution at the household scale in dust and soil. Thus, future environmental pollution work examining renters versus homeowners, as well as other household data such as home condition and resident race/ethnicity, is imperative for better understanding environmental disparities surrounding not just Pb, but other heavy metals in environmental media as well.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acbaadlead (Pb)heavy metalscommunity sciencecitizen scienceurban pollutionenvironmental disparities |
| spellingShingle | Matthew Dietrich Leah R Wood John T Shukle Angela Herrmann Gabriel M Filippelli Contributory science reveals insights into metal pollution trends across different households and environmental media Environmental Research Letters lead (Pb) heavy metals community science citizen science urban pollution environmental disparities |
| title | Contributory science reveals insights into metal pollution trends across different households and environmental media |
| title_full | Contributory science reveals insights into metal pollution trends across different households and environmental media |
| title_fullStr | Contributory science reveals insights into metal pollution trends across different households and environmental media |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contributory science reveals insights into metal pollution trends across different households and environmental media |
| title_short | Contributory science reveals insights into metal pollution trends across different households and environmental media |
| title_sort | contributory science reveals insights into metal pollution trends across different households and environmental media |
| topic | lead (Pb) heavy metals community science citizen science urban pollution environmental disparities |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/acbaad |
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