Determination of heavy metal pollution in Samsun city center with the help of road dust

The continuous increase in the variety and number of compounds identified in urban air quality reveals more air pollutants. Air pollution is an essential factor affecting the vital actions of ecosystems and living beings. For respirable particulate matter, heavy metals are among the components that make up air pollution. Although they have different sources, it is known that their accumulation ability is slightly higher than that of other pollutants. For this reason, heavy metals formed in urban centers, especially road dust, can be found at high rates. Within the scope of this study, it was aimed to determine the sources and levels of heavy metals in road dust samples collected from 5 different regions in Samsun city center. It was found that Cr and Ni are from industrial sources, Cu, Pb, Zn, and S are from traffic sources, while Co, Mn, and K elements reach high concentrations from urban areas.