INDUCTIVELY COUPLED PLAMSA – OPTICAL EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPY INVESTIGATIONS OF POLLUTION IN STREET SEDIMENT IN THE CITY OF HAMILTON, OHIO

Street sediment records pollution from vehicular, ambient atmospheric and stormwater sources. The nature and diversity of street sediment potentially reflects both past and present pollution processes. The second ward of the City of Hamilton in Butler County, Ohio is currently dominated by low income residential housing and has a metal recycling center. In the past 100 years however there have been a variety of industrial activities including paper milling, coke and coal handling, metal working, dry cleaning, and a variety of manufacturing. This area is representative of many post-industrial cities throughout the Midwest. Street sediment samples were collected and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma – optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). SEM showed pollutants of americium particles, barite, copper-selenium particles, copper-rich particles, lead-rich particles, coal spherules, tungsten-rich particles, as well as zinc particles. Bulk chemical analysis of samples using ICP-OES indicates elements of environmental concern were detected with As (1-12 ppm), Cr (6-12 ppm), Cu 23-2168 ppm), Ni (7-140 ppm), Pb (49-1563 ppm), and Zn (127-1435 ppm) being present. The majority of these analyses are above environmental background defined by previous investigations. Modest correlations are observed between concentrations of some pollutant metals such as Cu-Zn (r²= 0.51), Cu-Cr (r²=0.71) and Pb-Cr (r²=0.39). Results are broadly consistent with previous studies, however particulate pollutants are more readily observed and are more diverse compared to previous studies. Human exposure routes to street sediment exist by wind and physical contact, particularly for children. These results serve as a basis for comparative analysis of pollution in more economically affluent areas in Butler County, Ohio. Results indicate that more regular street cleaning to protect human health and better storm water controls to protect ecological health should be implemented.