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Impact of road runoff in soil and groundwater:
Portuguese and other European case-studies
Teresa E. LEITÃO
National
Laboratory for Civil Engineering Groundwater Division of DHA/LNEC, Av. do
Brasil, 101,
P-1700-066 Lisboa, Portugal
Abstract Road traffic circulation produces compounds that pollute the environment. The level and type of emissions depend on several technical aspects related to road design and vehicle engine (size, type of fuel used), as well as to operational factors that are related to the way that the vehicle is used. The compounds emitted come from fuel combustion, corrosion of vehicle compartments, road accessories (e.g. lateral crash barriers), degradation, road degradation, maintenance procedures (application of chemicals), leakage, and accidents. In this paper a synthesis of soil and groundwater pollution by heavy metals in the vicinity of roads is presented. The results are based on data collected by LNEC, as well as other data gathered in published papers, summing more than three dozen case studies in 10 different European countries. The objective of this analysis was to compile as much information as possible about road pollution by heavy metals in soil and groundwater in order to provide a general overview for Europe of the effective degree and extension of road pollution, independent of the different conditions specific to each study area.
Key words European case-studies; groundwater; road
pollution; soil