Beschreibung:
<jats:p><jats:bold>Lead Contamination of Plants and Soils Caused by Automobile Exhaust Gases</jats:bold></jats:p><jats:p>The examination of grassland, wheat, maize and potatoes has shown that the lead content of plants in the vicinity of roads rises with increasing traffic intensity and falls with increasing distance from a motorroad. An increase in the coating of lead is observable up to a distance of 50 m from an autobahn. A roadside sample of grass from the Munich–Stuttgart autobahn was found to contain 470 mg lead/kg dry matter. The lead content of grass growing immediately near (≦ 1 m) roads was found to vary between 40 and 140 mg lead/kg dry matter. The lead content of samples taken from the same place at different times varies considerably, doubtless due to the influence of different exposure times, rate of growth and meteorological conditions. Different plants from comparable positions contain different amounts of lead; even different grass species vary. Roots, growing or otherwise, are protected from the action of dust and contain accordingly a low lead content which is independent of position. Drying fresh plant material in a forced draught oven, even at the low temperature of 35°C, causes losses of up to 50%. The risk to health of men and animals due to the consumption of plant foods growing near heavily used roads is discussed and preventative measures proposed.</jats:p>