Metal Extraction from Road Sediment using Different Strength Reagents: Impact on Anthropogenic Contaminant Signals

Washoff of road deposited sediment into storm drainsystems is one of the major contributors to nonpoint sourcepollution in urban fluvial networks. These sediments contain avariety of potentially toxic organic and inorganic contaminants.Road sediment from 13 locations in an urban (non-industrialized)drainage basin, and soil from 10 background (control) locationswere collected to assess total and labile fractions of Al, Co,Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. Four digestions, of varying strength,were used to assess contaminant levels, these included: a totalfour-acid digestion, a microwave-assisted digestion withconcentrated nitric acid (USEPA Method 3051), a 0.5 M `cold' HCl,and a 0.05 M EDTA (pH 7). Road sediment data indicate that Al,Co, Fe, Mn and Ni were primarily lithogenic in origin, while Cu,Pb and Zn showed very significant anthropogenic signals, mostprobably from vehicle-related sources. Median Pb concentrationenrichment ratios for the EDTA extraction were about 42,indicating an extreme anthropogenic signal. The weak extractants(HCl and EDTA) are considered in this study to be superior intheir ability to characterize the degree of anthropogeniccontamination and should be utilized more widely in environmentalcontaminant studies.