1

Maureen Bishop

EFB 220 Urban Ecology

Final Project

Assessment of Heavy Metal Soil Concentrations onThree Brownfield sites and

Recommendations for Urban Tree Nurseries as a Remediation Technique: Syracuse, NY

I. Introduction

In post-industrial cities, there often exists unused land due to the presence of brownfields.

According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a brownfield is property where

“…the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or

potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant” (US EPA, 2013). These

sites can exist in this polluted state for a number of reasons: industry, hazardous accidents,

factories, businesses, rapid development, transportation infrastructure, etc. As with many rust

belt cities, Syracuse NY has 137 properties designated as brownfields as of the summer of 2013

(Sullivan, 2013). For this study, I sampled soil from 3 of these brownfield sites and, using an

Inductively Coupled Plasma Machine, tested for an above average presence of three heavy

metals: copper, lead, and zinc. The sites I selected are 1321 South Salina St., 101 Chester St., and

900 N. Clinton St., which are all within the Syracuse city limits. My results were compared to

natural metal concentrations in soil set by the EPA to find out whether these contaminants were

an issue on the site. Based on my results, observations, and research I was able to determine

which site would be most suited for a potential urban tree nursery.

Site History

1321 South Salina StreetSyracuse, NY13202 is a .33 acre lot that was built in 1970. It is

currently owned by Church-Abundant Life and is across from the old, boarded-up Sears building

2

(Sullivan, 2013). The site looked like it is now may be a camp for homeless people in warmer

weather as it is tucked away from the road, fenced in, and it had signs of human presence. 101

Chester Street is owned by the City of Syracuse, NY (Sullivan, 2013). I could not find

information about its prior use that has deemed it a brownfield but I know that it equates to 0.8

acres and is next to a residential home. 900 North Clinton Street Syracuse, NY 13204 is a 2.47

acre plot of land listed as a “special purpose” use and is currently owned by the Niagara Mohawk

Power Corporation (Sullivan, 2013).

Similar studies

Similar studies have been performed to assess the state of brownfield soils and what remediation

techniques can be implemented. Previous research done for a brownfield in Liberty State Park in

Jersey City, NJ found above average concentrations of “arsenic, chromium, lead, zinc, and

vanadium” (Gallagher, 2008). Above average heavy metal concentrations classifies this site as a

brownfield because it lies on an old rail yard. Industrial development is often the cause of such

contamination. For brownfield sites in Montreal, Canada researchers also tested for copper, lead,

zinc and found above average concentrations of these heavy metals in the soil.

Relevance to Urban Ecology

Brownfields are a problem because contamination of the soil can affect the health of all living

organisms surrounding the site. The main reasons that there is an initiative to mitigate

brownfields are to prevent the spread of contaminants that could disrupt natural biogeochemical

cycles and also to allow for re-development (Roy et. al., 2005). Contaminants in soils don’t

always remain in the soil but can be distributed to other land through erosion or run-off. Urban

planners are also beginning to realize that having so many unused and contaminated areas in a

city can truly lead to its decline.

3

Creating a Sustainable Urban Ecosystem

In this context, the word sustainable means to create a system that uses its resources wisely and

leaves resources available for future generations (US EPA, 2013). Often brownfields are not

cleaned up because no one is held accountable for the management of the site. For a brownfield

in Liverpool, NY outside of Syracuse, the owner, General Electric, got away with not becoming

a superfund site (Sullivan, 2013). If no one is held accountable or the sites sit unmanaged then

we will have much bigger problems in the future. Without cleaning up brownfield areas we are

leaving contaminated land that can further contaminate other resources. One technique that can

be employed to turn brownfields into sustainably managed land is phytoremediation. This clean-

up strategy is “the engineered use of green plants…to remove, contain, or render harmless such

environmental contaminants as heavy metals, trace elements, organic compounds, and

radioactive compounds in soil or water” (Hinchman, n.d.).Vegetation has the ability to absorb

heavy metals such as those I studied: copper, lead, and zinc through “hydraulic control,

absorption, and mycorrhizal activity” in the roots of trees (Westphal, n.d.). Rather than using

expensive and invasive clean up strategies such as extraction and searching for a place to deposit

these soil contaminants, trees are a natural way to reverse ecological damage on brownfield sites.

As our society exists today we use resources way outside the boundaries of the cities we live in.

Urban tree nurseries have the potential to provide multiple benefits: remediating the

contaminated soil and providing an easily accessible stock of trees within the city limits. This

seems like it would create only one sustainable resource but we know that the urban environment

is a system with many feedbacks. By remediating soil on these three sites there could be a

positive feedback for things such as water quality and species habitat. There could also be

positive future benefits such as providing stock for green infrastructure projects. At Atlantic

4

States Legal Foundation in Syracuse, NY they are currently working in conjunction with the US

EPA to write proposals for the development of urban tree nurseries on Syracuse brownfields

(Sullivan, 2013). The support and understanding of importance is present but research and

assessments such as this need to be completed to provide justifying data.

Imagine if all 137 Syracuse brownfields could be cleaned up and turned into productive land for

the city, whether it is through an urban tree nursery, residential space, business, etc. By replacing

run-down, contaminated sites with managed trees, Syracuse would become an even more

productive, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing place to reside.

The overall objective of my research is to understand the history of these sites and what

conditions exist there today in order to plan for future mitigation and potential of each site.

II. Research Question and Hypothesis

According to the EPA, the average concentration of copper, lead, and zinc in natural soils is

10ppm, 30ppm, and 50ppm, respectively (A&L Lab Inc., 2010). I hypothesize that the

concentrations of these three metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) in the soil of the three brownfield sites will

be higher than the EPA accepted average. Using my data collected I will assess a broader

question of whether each site is viable for implementation of an urban tree nursery and what

phytoremediation techniques can be applied there.

III. Methods

Site Selection

The criteria I used for selecting brownfield sites to sample on related to making soil sampling

possible and to the future of the site as an urban tree nursery. To ease in soil sampling I chose

sites that met the following criteria: 1) vacant land use 2) I was able to access them i.e. no fences

or barriers prevented me from entering, and 3) proximity to the SUNY-ESF campus. To find

5

which sites were vacant, I used ArcGIS to select for vacant brownfields and found that 37 out of

137 brownfields were classified as such. From the 37 brownfield sites, I used GoogleMaps to

assess accessibility and proximity to campus. Once the site met the aforementioned criteria I

narrowed my selection down to three sites with criteria for a potential urban tree nursery: 1) the

site was relatively flat and 2) had minimal vegetation or infrastructure present.

Soil Sampling

At each site, I collected three soil samples by digging underneath the leaf litter, moss, or grass,

rocks, and debris. I chose a spot to begin sampling and then collected the other two samples on a

transect with 10 feet between each sampling spots. I labeled each sample and placed it in a bag

for later analysis.

ICP Preparation and Analysis

Once the samples were collected I prepared them for analysis of existing heavy metals: Copper,

Zinc, and Lead. Each sample was left to dry for 6 days and then was prepared for testing. I

weighed 5 grams of each sample to the nearest milligram, placed the sample in 100mL of 10%

nitric acid solution and shook them for 30 minutes. I then filtered 15 mL of each sample and had

them tested for the heavy metals using an Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Machine. Results

were reported in parts per million but since the solution was diluted by a ratio of 100 mL/soil

weight in grams I multiplied the results by 20 times (Balogh, 2013).

Vegetation Recommendations

In order to make recommendations for each site’s potential for an urban tree nursery I assessed

the existing conditions upon visiting the site. I confirmed whether it was a relatively flat surface

and took a basic inventory of the plants on site with the help of Catherine Landis (Landis, 2013).

6

I then did research into many journal articles, guidelines, and past studies to decide what could

be planted on site to remediate the soil and also provide an urban tree stock.

IV. Results

Soil Metal Concentrations

For the South Salina Street site, I was able to accept my hypothesis that the concentration of

heavy metals in the soil is higher than the EPA accepted average (Figure 1). The EPA accepted

averages for copper, lead and zinc are 30ppm, 10ppm, and 50ppm, respectively (A&L Lab Inc.,

2010). At the South Salina Street site there was an average copper (Cu) concentration of 64.53

ppm, higher than the average in natural soils. There was an average lead (Pb) concentration of

191.47 ppm, which is much higher than the natural average. There was an average zinc (Zn)

concentration of 101.87 ppm, also higher than the natural average. For 101 Chester Street, I was

only able to accept this hypothesis for lead and not for copper or zinc (Figure 2). This site’s

average concentration of lead was 69.33ppm, higher than the natural average but the averages for

copper and zinc were 10.67 ppm and 25.6ppm, respectively. For the 900 North Clinton Street

site I was able to accept my hypothesis for both copper and lead, but not for zinc (Figure 3).

There was an average copper (Cu) concentration of 32.35 ppm and an average lead (Pb)

concentration of 47.47ppm, both higher than the accepted averages. There was an average zinc

(Zn) concentration of 49.6ppm which is just under the accepted average of 50ppm.

7

Figure 2. Average Heavy Metal Concentrations (Cu, Pb, Zn) Present

vs. Average Accepted EPA Concentrations:

101 Chester Street Syracuse, NY Brownfield

Copper

Present

10.67

Natural

Copper

30

Lead Present

69.33

Natural

Lead

10

Zinc

Present

25.60

Natural

Zinc

50

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

70.00

80.00

Heavy Metal Tested

Av

era

ge

He

av

y M

eta

l

Co

nc

en

tra

tio

n (

pp

m)

Figure 1. Average Heavy Metal Concentrations (Cu, Pb, Zn) Present

vs. Average EPA Accepted Concentrations:

1321 South Salina Street Syracuse, NY Brownfield

Lead Present

191.47

Zinc Present

101.87Copper

Present

64.53 Natural

Copper

30

Natural

Lead

10

Natural Zinc

50

0.00

50.00

100.00

150.00

200.00

250.00

Heavy Metal Tested

Av

era

ge

He

av

y M

eta

l

Co

nc

en

tra

tio

n (

pp

m)

8

Figure 3. Average Heavy Metal Concentrations (Cu, Pb, Zn) Present

vs. Average EPA Accepted Concentrations:

900 North Clinton Street Syracuse, NY Brownfield

Copper

Present

32.53

Natural

Copper

30

Lead Present

47.47

Natural

Lead

10

Zinc Present

49.60

Natural Zinc

50

0.00

10.00

20.00

30.00

40.00

50.00

60.00

Heavy Metals Tested

Av

era

ge

He

av

y M

eta

l

Co

nc

en

tra

tio

n (

pp

m)

Vegetation and Site Conditions Present

Site Site Conditions (See Appendix

Part C for photos)

Vegetation Found (Landis, 2013)

1321 South Salina

Street Syracuse NY

-.33 acres

-Fenced in area but the gate was

wide open

-Lots of trash and signs of human

inhabitance

-Very woody area

-Would be costly and time

consuming to clear the area for an

urban tree nursery

101 Chester St.

Syracuse, NY

-0.8 acres

-Completely flat and very open area

making it ideal for an urban tree

nursery

-At the start of a dead end street

-Multiple grasses:

Narrow leaf plantain

Crab grass

-Dandelions, clovers

-Mosses:

9

-Tree line one the side of the

property had some trash strewn

Bryumargentenium(sidewalk crack

moss)

-Trees: Box elder

900 North Clinton

Street Syracuse,

NY

-2.47 acres

-The site was across the street from

a warehouse with many trucks

-Slope and rough terrain

-Very rocky soil

-Old field succession in place with

woody plants trying to colonize

-It looked like some trees had

recently been removed

-Goldenrod plants

V. Discussion

In order to determine if there were anomalies in my dataset than I would need previously

completed research for the three brownfield sites to compare my data to. There is some

variability in the metal concentrations taken for each individual site but that could just be that

certain areas of the site have varying concentrations. For example, for the South Salina Street site

there was a range of 148.8ppm of copper concentration for the soil samples. This range of values

does not necessarily mean that the results are incorrect but it could warrant further research into

the soil chemistry of the site. My findings supported my assumptions because there were in fact

some soil samples that had average concentrations that greatly exceeded the EPA accepted

averages, such as the 265.6ppm concentration of lead for one of the South Salina Street samples.

The fact that these sites are classified as brownfields inherently means that there must be a

dangerous or hazardous level of contamination present but this research further reinforced the

brownfield classification for each site.

10

Figure 4. These images show the

current state (above) and potential

future (right) for 101 Chester St.

Figure 4.Present-day 101 Chester St.

(above) and the potential future for the

site as an urban tree nursery.

Best Site for Urban Tree Nursery and Recommendations for Vegetation

Based on the aforementioned results, I believe that out of the three sites visited, 101 Chester

Street Syracuse, NY has the most potential for the development of a small urban tree nursery.

This site had the lowest average concentrations of copper (10.67ppm) and zinc (25.6ppm) and

the second lowest average concentration of lead (69.33ppm). In terms of site conditions, it had

minimal vegetation already present and was very flat and relatively spacious.

Research on specific trees to implement in these areas suggests that there is no set formula for

what should be planted based on what conditions exist there. One idea for trees to plant is

willows and poplars because of their ability to remediate soil (Westphal et. al., n.d.). Another

important consideration to make when choosing plants would be to choose native plants. If

Chester Street were to become an urban tree nursery the city parks department could choose

native plants that would potentially bring back native fauna (Sullivan, 2013).

11

Comparison to Completed Research

Compared to research done by Gallagher on a brownfield in Jersey City, NJ I also found higher

than average concentrations of copper, lead, and zinc on the three brownfields (Gallagher, 2008).

My research methods were much simpler and involved testing for fewer contaminants but

nonetheless my research further provided Gallagher’s statement that copper, lead, and zinc are

common on brownfields.

Further Study

My results did meet my expectations for finding concentrations of heavy metals in the

soil of the brownfield sites; however, there is always room for the improvement of an

experiment. I planned to visit five brownfield sites but time and daylight constraints prevented

that goal. With the right resources, future research can be done to test not just these 3 brownfield

sites but all 37 vacant brownfields in Syracuse, NY. Having additional sites to compare would

help verify the presence of copper, lead, and zinc on brownfield sites. It could also allow for

further assessment of what makes a site viable for an urban tree nursery and would increase the

number of potential sites. Besides copper, lead, and zinc, one could test for other heavy metals

such as cadmium, chromium, and mercury as some other researchers have done (Roy et. al,

2005). Obviously the soils of the three sites contain much more than just heavy metals so future

studies could test for the presence of petroleum distillates and byphenols (Sullivan, 2013).

Another area for further research outside the scope of this project would be to study public

knowledge and perception of brownfields. A survey with Syracuse city residents about

brownfields and mitigation techniques would give further insight into the social acceptability,

potential funding, and overall possibility of this idea.

12

VI. Conclusion

For all three vacant brownfield sites in the city of Syracuse, NY I found above average

concentrations of at least one heavy metal tested for: copper, lead, or zinc. For the South Salina

St. site, there were above EPA average concentrations for all three metals. This re-altering of soil

chemistry could be due to past land use and either poor management or neglect for the site.

Though there is much more occurring underneath the layers of Earth at these sites, understanding

the basics of the soil chemistry allows one to understand the need for further research and

remediation of the site. Before developing on this land more extensive studies must be completed

to be aware of unnatural heavy metal concentrations.

As these sites stand now they are eyesores, potential health hazards, and a general waste

of valuable city land. Urban tree nurseries are one way that we can not only remediate these sites

but add to a city’s aesthetics, provide valuable resources within the city limits, make use of

vacant land, increase ecological benefits from the trees, and prevent erosion or further deposition

of contaminants (Westphal, et. al., n.d.). 50% of the world’s population lives in the urban

environment on urban soil. It is essential that we understand the components and history of this

soil to protect the health of our ecosystem and all living organisms that surround this soil. In

remediating the soil from heavy metals such as high concentrations of copper, lead, and zinc

development of an urban tree nursery can provide many benefits for the city of Syracuse, NY.

13

VII. Appendix

A. Raw Data

Table 1. Heavy metal concentration data for each sample, average concentrations, and the range

of the concentrations for all three sites: 1321 . Salina St, 101 Chester St., and 900 N. Clinton St.

Site Cu (ppm) Pb (ppm) Zn (ppm) Description

1321 S. Salina St

1 16 265.6 161.6 Closest to entry gate

2 14.4 132.8 51.2

3 163.2 176 92.8 Farthest from entry gate

Average 64.53 191.47 101.87

Range 148.8 132.8 110.4

101 Chester St.

4 6.4 65.6 24 Closest to road

5 8 54.4 30.4

6 17.6 88 22.4 Farthest from road

Average 10.67 69.33 25.60

Range 11.2 33.6 8

900 N. Clinton St.

7 28.8 60.8 62.4 Closest to road

8 51.2 46.4 48

9 17.6 35.2 38.4 Farthest from road

Average 32.53 47.47 49.60

Range 33.6 25.6 24

14

B. Site location

Figure 5. This figure displays the location of the brownfield areas I collected soil samples from

in Syracuse, NY in relation to one another.

15

Aerial Photo

Ground Photos

C. Site Photos

1321 South Salina Street, Syracuse NY

(GoogleMaps)

(GoogleMaps)

(Bishop, 2013)

(Landis, 2013)

16

Aerial Photo

Ground Photos

101 Chester Street, Syracuse NY 13210

(Landis, 2013)

(GoogleMaps)

(GoogleMaps)

(Bishop, 2013)

17

Aerial Photo

Ground Photos

900 North Clinton Street Syracuse NY 13210

(GoogleMaps)

(GoogleMaps)

(Landis, 2013)

Solar Street!

18

VIII. References

A&L Great Lakes Laboratories (2010) Metal Concentrations in Natural Soils. Fort Wayne,

Indiana. Date Accessed: 2 December 2013.

http://www.algreatlakes.com/PDF/factsheets/ALGLFS25_Metal_Concentrations_in_Na

ural_Soils.pdf

Balogh S (2013) Assessment of Lead Contamination in Urban Soils: Preparing a Sample for ICP

Analysis. EFB 220 Urban Ecology.

Gallagher FJ, Pechmann I, Bogden JD, Grabosky J, Weis P (2008) Soil metal concentrations and

vegetative assemblage structure in an urban brownfield. Environmental Pollution (153)

pp. 351-361. http://www.gallaghergreen.com/EP153.pdf

Hinchman RR, Negri MC, Gatliff EG (n.d.) Phytoremediation: Using Green Plants to Clean Up

Contaminated Soil, Groundwater, and Wastewater. Argonne National Laboratory and

Applied Natural Sciences, Inc. pp. 1-13.

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.26.2529&rep=rep1&type=pdf

KanapluJ (2004) S. Salina St. Brownfields, Syracuse, NY Integrating Innovative and

Conventional Remedial Techniques into the Design of a Temporary Demonstration Park

http://www.esf.edu/la/capstones/cs2004/Kanaplue_proposal_04.pdf.

Landis C (2013) Field Note Inventory of Basic Plants on Brownfield Sites visited and Site

Photos. 4 December 2013.

Roy S, Labelle S, Mehta P, Mihoc A, Fortin N, Masson C, Leblanc R, Châteauneuf G, SuraC,

Gallipeau C, Olsen C, Delisle S, Labrecque M, Greer CW ( 2005) Phytoremediation of

Heavy Metal and PAH-Contaminated BrownfieldSites. National Research Council

Canada. Plant and Soil (2005) 272: 277–290. DOI 10.1007/s11104-004-5295-9

Solar Street!

19

Schilling JM (n.d.) The Revitalization of Vacant Properties: Where Broken Windows Meet

Smart Growth. Internation City-County Management Association. Pp. 1-43.

http://www.usmayors.org/brownfields/library/Revitalization_of_Vacant_Properties.pdf

Sullivan P (2013) Syracuse, NY Brownfield Data. Atlantic States Legal Foundation.

US EPA (2013) Brownfields and Land Revitalization. Date Accessed: 17 November 2013.

http://www.epa.gov/brownfields/index.html

US EPA (2013) What is Sustainability? Date Accessed: 10 December 2013.

http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/basicinfo.htm.

Westphal LM, Isebrands JG (n.d.) Phytoremediation of Chicago’s Brownfields: Consideration of

Ecological Approaches and Social Issues. pp. 1-9. Date Accessed: 5 December 2013.

http://naturalsystems.uchicago.edu/urbanecosystems/calumet/cdrom/problem%20solving

Westphal%20and%20Isebrands%202001.pdf.