Assessment of metal contamination in soil and vegetation along the Arbutus Greenway in Vancouver, British Columbia

Aims The Arbutus Greenway is a former railway corridor and current greenspace spanning 9 km in Metro Vancouver, BC. The objective of this study was to quantify variability in metal concentrations along the greenway and assess barrier effectiveness on reducing atmospheric deposition of metals from nearby roads. Methods At 5 sites along the greenway, soils and vegetation were sampled; metal concentrations were determined by ICP-OES. Results We found high variability in naturally occurring soil metal concentrations. We were able to associate the values with site history as a railway transportation corridor. In addition, we found higher concentrations of total soil metals in areas without a barrier separating the greenway from the heavily trafficked roads, indicating that atmospheric deposition of metals from roadways is occurring. The use of barriers seemed to be effective in reducing atmospheric deposition of metals in our study. Conclusions These findings support our conclusion that a thorough and comprehensive assessment of potential greenspaces prior to the planning phase, and continued monitoring during use, will be important to maintain public health.