Lead and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in surface soil from day care centres in the city of Bergen, Norway

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 2008-05, Vol.153 (2), p.266-272
• Main Authors: Haugland, Toril, Ottesen, Rolf Tore, Volden, Tore
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Applied sciences; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Day Care Centers; Day care centres; Earth sciences; Earth, ocean, space; Engineering and environment geology. Geothermics; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Humans; Lead; Lead - analysis; Medical sciences; Norway; Pollution; Pollution sources. Measurement results; Pollution, environment geology; Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons - analysis; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Soil - analysis; Soil and sediments pollution; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil pollution; Spectrophotometry, Atomic; Suburban Health; Urban Health
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2007.08.028

Surface soil (0–2 cm) quality in 87 day care centres in the city of Bergen, Norway has been studied. Approximately 45% of the day care centres contained Pb and PAH values above recommended action levels. There are clear variations between different areas of the city. The old central part of the city hosts most of the contaminated day care centres. In suburban areas most of the day care centres have Pb and PAH concentrations below action levels. City fires, gas work emission, lead-based paint, and traffic are probably important anthropogenic contamination sources, together with uncontrolled transportation of soil from contaminated to clean areas. Geological or other natural sources are probably not an important contributor to the high levels of lead and PAH. Surface soil in 45% of the studied day care centres was contaminated by lead and PAH.