Public Health Considerations for Heavy Metals Associated with Road Sediments of a Megacity

  • Carlos Alfonso Zafra-Mejía, Hugo Alexander Rondón-Quintana, Juan Pablo Rodríguez-Miranda

Abstract

Road-deposited sediment contamination is a graverisk to public health and ecosystem in cities. It is widely recognized that environmental contamination with heavy metals has increased significantly and has also involved a great interest in developing countries due to threats to public health.The objective of this paper is to show an assessment of heavy metal concentration related with the road-deposited sediment on 6 roads of Bogotá city, Colombia. The research is based on the 3 heavy metals most studied on road-deposited sediments: Pb, Cu, and Zn. Local heavy metal concentrations will also be compared against those reported by research globally. Pollution degree is assessed with respect to the selected reference legislation for the human health protection on urban land. There is evidence that the most critical element in the megacity of Bogotá is Pb. On average, the results show that Pb concentrations exceed 1,02 to 4,30 times the most demanding reference limit (Catalonia, Spain: 60 mg/kg). In relation with the other heavy metals under study, the legislative analysis shows that pollution control strategies in the megacity of Bogotá should first focus on Cu rather than Zn. Findings of this research are a reference point for the study, development, and implementation of differentiated strategies for the metal pollution control in megacities.

Published
2020-03-30
How to Cite
Carlos Alfonso Zafra-Mejía, Hugo Alexander Rondón-Quintana, Juan Pablo Rodríguez-Miranda. (2020). Public Health Considerations for Heavy Metals Associated with Road Sediments of a Megacity. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(3), 11962 -. Retrieved from http://sersc.org/journals/index.php/IJAST/article/view/29886
Section
Articles