Review of pollutants in urban road dust and stormwater runoff: part 1. Heavy metals released from vehicles

Urban road dust can be highly enriched with trace metals such as copper, lead, zinc, and platinum group elements (PGEs) that are released primarily from vehicles. Concentrations of these metals are up to about 100 times higher than background levels. Lead concentrations in sediment core have declined dramatically due to phase out of leaded gasoline. Recent ban on the use of lead wheel balancing weight in Europe and in some US states will accelerate the decline of lead in the environment. Concentrations of copper, zinc, and PGEs in sediments in many urban areas have increased continuously due to increase of urban sprawl and increased numbers and travel distance of vehicle. Wear of brake pads and tyres are the primary sources of copper and zinc in urban road dust. PGEs have been released from catalytic converters since the mid-1970s. Contaminated urban road dust is picked up by stormwater runoff and delivered into local receiving waterbodies (e.g. streams, rivers, lakes, and estuaries). Concentratio...