| Young children are an especially sensitive population when it comes to any form of contamination. One would assume that a playground or park, where children go to play, would be safe and free of pollutants that could harm them. This study was conducted to determine the existence of several contaminants in New York City parks and playgrounds.{09}Additionally, nutrient tests were performed on the soil samples to determine their fertility and health.; A total of 37 samples were collected from 37 playgrounds around the boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens. Samples were taken from the topsoil of parks in areas designated as residential, industrial, near major traffic arteries, or near bridges. This would correlate any results with possible sources of contamination.; It was found that for total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPHs), residential areas generally had the lowest soil concentrations (755 ppm). The highest level of TPHs was found near major arteries (1,282 ppm). Both the levels of PCBs/pesticides and arsenic did not vary greatly with changing area types. The average concentrations of TPHs, PCBs/pesticides, and arsenic were 960, 68, and 18 ppm, respectively. Allowable soil concentrations of TPHS in residential and industrial areas are 50 and 500 ppm, respectively. The allowable soil concentrations for PCBs/pesticides and arsenic are 50 and 7.5 ppm, respectively. When the total fertility and all nutrients were considered, there did not seem to be any correlation between healthy soils and the type of areas they were sampled from. Most soils did not have adequate levels of all nutrients. However, for certain specific nutrients, such as nitrates, aluminum, iron, and copper, there did seem to be some distinctions between the type of area (residential, industrial, etc.) and the concentration. |
