(M.J. Abel, R.L. Parker)

Abstract

Concentrations of Zn, Cd, and Pb were determined by ICP-AES in soil and in plant leaves from five different sites in an effort to further understand the environmental impact of automobile traffic. Samples gathered close to and far from both Highway 99W and Interstate 5 near Corvallis, OR, indicate a decrease in concentration of both Zn and Pb with distance from the road. Further tests are required to ascertain whether Cd concentrations increase with distance, as our data suggest. Zinc concentrations at four of the five sites were found to be toxic, as were cadmium concentrations at three of the sites. No site was found to have toxic levels of lead.