Studies of Atmospheric Pollution due to Lead in the Vicinity of Urban Motorways

Abstract

Lead levels in the atmosphere and in topsoil or dust increase as one approaches cities, due to the greater use of petrol-driven vehicles. The building of an urban motorway through the Gravelly Hill district of Birmingham increased the traffic density of that area. The effect of the opening and use of the interchange on atmospheric lead concentrations was studied. An equation to predict the pollution level at a reference site from two weather variables, wind speed and temperature, and traffic was derived. Also, the equations relating seven remote sites to the reference site were calculated. Three houses were studied to check the degree of penetration by the lead and particulate aerosols. One property had double glazing which enabled the effectiveness of this as a barrier to particulate aerosol penetration to be studied. The lead levels in the blood of some inhabitants of these houses were determined and found to lie in the normal range. The particulate aerosol was collected on filter papers, some of which were observed under high magnification by an electron microscope. This, coupled with x-ray energy spectrometry, has enabled titanium, vanadium, zinc, and lead-rich particles to be identifiable by their size and shape.