• Login
    View Item 
    •   MINDS@UW Home
    • MINDS@UW Whitewater
    • Master's Theses--UW-Whitewater
    • View Item
    •   MINDS@UW Home
    • MINDS@UW Whitewater
    • Master's Theses--UW-Whitewater
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Environmental health and safety : Wisconsin playground heavy metal soil survey

    Thumbnail
    File(s)
    Environmental Health and Safety Survey draft 15 LIB COPY2.pdf (6.318Mb)
    Date
    2013
    Author
    Harriman, William
    Advisor(s)
    Loushine, Todd
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (WDPI) administers environmental education programs supervised by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR). These programs are meant to increase public awareness and knowledge about environmental problems, while educating the public with the necessary skills to make informed decisions and take responsibility. These environmental education programs encourage the development of outdoor learning laboratories and instructional gardens that teach students how to become engaged environmental stewards. These programs are focused to reduce the use and availability of heavy metal inside schools thus increasing the systems overall environmental health and safety. However these programs unintentionally overlook school playgrounds as plausible routes attributing to childhood heavy metal exposures. Literature review identified that playground soils are plausible reservoirs that attribute to the heavy metal exposures endured by children. A method was created and determined to represent a viable means of predicting soil contamination. The method was confirmed by completing a soil survey of 33 Wisconsin school playgrounds. Information was collected that documented the schools original date of construction in conjunction with the schools geographic classification (rural, suburban, or urban). Environmental sampling was conducted and analyzed by portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) spectrometry. EPA method 6200 served as the blue print which established the observed level of heavy metal contamination found at each site. The data generated was specific to display the observed levels of Arsenic (As) and Lead (Pb) in parts per million (ppm). Initial results indicated of the 33 playgrounds explored 100% of them had a detectable level of As, and 97 % of them had a detectable level of Pb. Although the data was not able to support prior literature and further establish that playground soils are plausible reservoirs of heavy metal contamination. The data did provide information that supports the existence of the urban metal island phenomena.
    Subject
    Soils--Heavy metal content--Wisconsin
    Heavy metals--Environmental aspects--Wisconsin
    Playgrounds--Wisconsin
    Children--Health and hygiene--Wisconsin
    Permanent Link
    http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1793/68950
    Description
    This file was last viewed in Adobe Reader X.
    Part of
    • Master's Theses--UW-Whitewater

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Central Wisconsin stormwater survey: a summary of residents' knowledge and practices 

      Trechter, David; Janke, James; Hadley, Shelly; Parks, Denise (2008-07)
      The SRC, working with the North Central Wisconsin Storm Water Coalition, surveyed residents from the cities of Merrill, Mosinee, Schofield, Stevens Point, Wausau, and Wisconsin Rapids, the villages of Kronenwetter, Rothschild ...
    • Prologue 2008 

      Allsop, Sara; Brager, Kyle; Brigman, Austin D.; Buckvold, Marilyn; Butler, Margaret; Carlson, Christine; Fechner, Lauren; Fischer, Julie R.; Gaffer, Kathy; Germain, Maria; Haden, Margaret; Hoffman, Jesse; Hubing, Danielle; Hutton, Lindsay; Isenberger, Annaka; Kerschner, Brittany; Kitzrow, Nate; Knutson, Shannon; Kroska, Brett; Kummer, Amorett; Lampert, Anita; Lande, Joe; Lawton, Anne; Lee, Seung Joo; Loosbrock, Matt; Luedtke, Timothy; Maliszewski, Abby; Malkmus, Alli; Manering, Aaren; McMillan, Colleen; McMillan, Matthew P.; Nadeau, Angela; Newman, Don; Odlaug, Peter; Percy, Vanessa Faye; Sand, Shelby; Swanson, Nathaniel; Syring, Emily; Thorson, Joel; Washam, Christie; Young, Angela; Brookins, Brad; Baird, Amadeline; McKay, Jaci; Schutjer, Aaron; Witschen, Jeff (University of Wisconsin-River Falls, 2008-04-18)
      2008 edition of Prologue, the University of Wisconsin-River Falls student literary and art publication.
    • CRSCA booklet 2013 

      University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Chalmer Davee Library. (University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Chalmer Davee Library., 2014-04-01)
      Booklet listing the articles, books, academic posters, fine and performance art, playbills and other items produced by the faculty and staff at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls during the 2013 calendar year.

    Contact Us | Send Feedback
     

     

    Browse

    All of MINDS@UWCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjects

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Contact Us | Send Feedback