Impact of Urban Layout and Topography on Lead Concentration in Dust of Public Green Spaces

Background: Lead (Pb) contamination in urban environments poses significant health risks, especially in densely populated areas.Urban parks, which offer vital green spaces, can serve as indicators of heavy metal pollution, including Pb from vehicular emissions.This study assesses Pb contamination and its spatial drivers in the surface dust of small parks in central Isfahan, Iran.Methods: Dust samples were collected from 45 urban parks and analyzed for Pb concentration using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS).Generalized Linear Models (GLMs) were applied to assess the relationship between Pb levels and environmental spatial variables, including road density from Kernel Density analysis, elevation, and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI).Results: Pb concentrations ranged from 28.7 to 36.7 mg/kg, with road density showing a positive correlation, while elevation and NDVI were negatively associated with Pb levels.The model explained 50% of the variance in Pb concentrations, highlighting traffic and topography as significant contributors to Pb deposition. Conclusion:The study underscores the need for targeted pollution control measures, particularly in low-lying, high-traffic areas.Increasing urban vegetation was found to mitigate Pb contamination, suggesting a potential role for urban greening in mitigating pollution.