 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
New Method For Tracing Metal Pollution Back To Its Sources
London, UK (SPX) Nov 26, 2008 A new way of pinpointing where zinc pollution in the atmosphere comes from could improve pollution monitoring and regulation, says research in the journal Analytical Chemistry. Imperial College London researchers say their work is a major breakthrough as current methods for analysing zinc pollution only measure pollution in the atmosphere; they do not trace it back to its source. Researchers say their method will provide a new tool for policy makers and modellers. A better understanding of zinc pollution sources could inform and improve national and international pollution strategies. At low levels, zinc is an essential mineral used by plants and animals. But at higher levels, zinc pollution is suspected of causing cardiovascular, reproductive, immune, and respiratory problems. Researchers trialled their method on atmospheric samples collected in Sao Paulo, Brazil. They worked in conjunction with researchers from the University of Sao Paulo who wanted to find out where zinc pollution comes from. The analysis of air samples suggested that a major source of zinc in the city's atmosphere comes from cars and not from manufacturers as previously thought. Scientists traced zinc pollution to car exhaust fumes and metal friction when cars brake, releasing zinc into the atmosphere. The study's co-author, Dr Dominik Weiss, from Imperial's Department of Earth Science and Engineering, says: "We need to know where these sources of pollution are coming from because exposure to zinc pollution over a long period of time is a significant concern for the health of residents in big cities such as Sao Paulo or London." The new method analyses zinc isotopes, which vary according to the pollution source. For instance, zinc isotopes in car exhaust are different from zinc isotopes coming out of industrial smoke stacks. The identity of these isotopes provides the clues to trace zinc pollution back to its source. Dr Weiss says this technique for analysing isotopes could also be applied to tracing the sources of other metals such as cadmium, copper and thallium. He adds: "Trace metals have a nasty way of bio-accumulating. They build up through the food chain with toxic consequences. Our new method could help policy makers find some more accurate answers about the true sources of metal pollution." Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Imperial College London Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up
Where There's Wildfire Smoke, There's Toxicity
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Nov 26, 2008The health threat to city dwellers posed by Southern California wildfires like those of November 2008 may have been underestimated by officials. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook