ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METAL POLLUTION IN THE SEDIMENTS OF THE ROANOKE RIVER

The Roanoke River, originating in southwest Virginia and emptying into North Carolina’s Albemarle Sound, flows through the city center of Roanoke — a centuries-long, major terminal for the western railway that connects the east coast ports to the coalfields of Appalachia. At a number of locations, the railway lines were constructed very close to the riverbank. Present study hypothesized that those locations are the probable source of heavy metal pollution in Roanoke River sediments.

To validate this assumption and test the premise of this study, 28 sediment samples were taken along the riverbank, then analyzed using X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Heavy metal concentrations were determined, and it was revealed that lead (Pb) concentrations in Roanoke River sediments frequently exceed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits (i.e. 420ppm) and ranged from 200­­–980ppm. Furthermore, the concentration of sulfur (S) and other heavy metals are comparable to the elevated Pb concentrations found at river locations adjacent to railways.