CONTAMINATED SOILS IN PLAYGROUNDS OF PUBLIC PARKS IN NEW YORK CITY

Soil samples were collected from children playgrounds in four public parks in Manhattan, New York City to investigate the concentration and distribution of heavy metals and radioactive elements.

Geochemical analysis using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP) of the selected samples indicates the presence of heavy metals and lithophile-radioactive metallic elements at various concentrations. These elements include Cadmium, Cobalt, Zinc, Copper, Tin, Manganese, Yttrium, and Strontium.

Based on their grain size analysis and mineral composition, the collected soils were classified into sandy loam, loamy sand, loam, sand, and sand clay loam. The presence of clay minerals in the soil samples makes them reservoirs for the heavy metals due to their cation exchange capacity.

High concentration of heavy metals and radioactive nuclides in soils and sediments in playgrounds of public parks may cause potential health risk to the public in general and to children in particular.