Coarse Technogenic Material in Urban Surface Deposited Sediments (USDS)

Andrian Seleznev,Ekaterina Ilgasheva,Georgy Malinovsky,Ilia Yarmoshenko

doi:10.3390/atmos12060754

Andrian Seleznev, Ekaterina Ilgasheva + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos12060754

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Abstract

In the current paper, the analysis of heavy mineral concentrate (Schlich analysis) was used to study the particles of technogenic origin in the samples of urban surface-deposited sediments (USDS). The USDS samples were collected in the residential areas of 10 Russian cities located in different economic, climatic, and geological zones: Ufa, Perm, Tyumen, Chelyabinsk, Nizhny Tagil, Magnitogorsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov-on-Don, Murmansk, and Ekaterinburg. The number of technogenic particles was determined in the coarse particle size fractions of 0.1–0.25 and 0.25–1 mm. The types of technogenic particle were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis. The amount of technogenic material differed from city to city; the fraction of technogenic particles in the samples varied in the range from 0.01 to 0.43 with an average value of 0.18. The technogenic particles in USDS samples were represented by lithoid and granulated slag, iron and silicate microspheres, fragments of brick, paint, glass, plaster, and other household waste. Various types of technogenic particle differed in morphological characteristics as well as in chemical composition. The novelty and significance of the study comprises the following: it has been shown that technogenic particles are contained in a significant part of the USDS; the quantitative indicators of the accumulation of technogenic particles in the urban landscape have been determined; the contributions of various types of particles to the total amount of technogenic material were estimated for the urban landscape; the trends in the transformation of typomorphic elemental associations in the urban sediments associated with the material of technogenic origin were demonstrated; and the alteration trends in the USDS microelemental content were revealed, taking into account the impurities in the composition of technogenic particles.

Highlights

Sediment deposition in the urban area reduces the environmental quality, and affects health, aesthetics, economics, and other aspects of city life [1]
For the particle size fraction of 0.1–0.25 mm, 11,985 particles were analyzed with the optical method, and 2306 of them were visually identified as technogenic
The statistical parameters of the fractional distribution of technogenic particles in the surveyed cities in particle size fractions of 0.1–0.25, 0.25–1, and combined fraction of 0.1–1 mm are shown in Figures 2 and 3

Summary

Introduction

Sediment deposition in the urban area reduces the environmental quality, and affects health, aesthetics, economics, and other aspects of city life [1]. The deposited loose sedimentary materials silt stormwater systems, compact urban soils, decrease the fertility of the topsoil, etc. The deposited solid matter on streets and sidewalks increases the wear and tear of vehicles [7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. The coarse particles of anthropogenic origin may contain toxic heavy metals [16,17,18,19,20]. The large size fraction material of road-deposited sediments (>100 μm) contains the mass of heavy metals within particulate matter similar to the fine fractions [21]. The coarse particles are involved in the transport of heavy metal pollution from roads to stormwater drains, and they absorb pollutants and may release them during rainy periods [6,15]

Results

Discussion

Conclusion