Exploration of lead , cadmium and copper in street dust of Baghdad city.

Abstract

This research study examines streets dust pollution in Baghdad city by heavy metals
Pb, Cd, and Cu. In this study it has been taking 69 dust specimen 52 from Karkh and
17 from Rusafa regions including crowded general streets, bystreets, and from some
street nearer to main electrical generators and from some housetops or terraces and
gardens of some houses. This study included 25 region in Karkh and Rusafa in
Baghdad city. The levels of heavy metals concentration were determined using flame
atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS) after digestion of dust samples using
aqua regia. The study was conducted to include the effects of accumulation of heavy
metals derivatives on soil surface as a result of emissions of such heavy metal and to
include the effects on the environments. It was found that the highest concentration
level of lead in dust of abo-greib (AGBt) sample in Karkh site equal to 139.52 ppm
and the maximum level of lead in dust of Karkh site equal to 27.78 ppm for street near
electric generator in gent sample and comparing to level 29.32 ppm was found for
lead in dust of housetop in Rusafa site in Ht sample. The highest concentration level
of copper in dust of Karkh site was found in St1 sample equal to 9.96 ppm comparing
to level 23.82 ppm of copper in general street of Rusafa site in St sample, whereas the
highest concentration level of cadmium in dust of Karkh site was found in gent
sample equal to 0.29 ppm comparing to level 0.15 ppm of cadmium in St sample of
Rusafa site. Whereas the lowest level of lead in dust in Rusafa site was found in
branch street of St1 sample equal to 15.1 ppm compared to lowest level of lead in dust
in Karkh site equal to 11.71 ppm .