ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Assessment of Arsenic Enrichment of Cultivated
Soils in Southern Poland
1*. K. Loska, 2. D. Wiechuła, 3. B. Barska, 4. E. Cebula, 5. A. Chojnecka
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1. Silesian Technical University, Institute of Engineering of Water and Wastewater,
ul. Konarskiego 18, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
2. Silesian University of Medicine, Department of Toxicology, ul. Jagiellońska 4, 41-200 Sosnowiec, Poland
3. PRInż. SA Holding, Pl. Grunwaldzki 8/10, 40-950 Katowice, Poland
4. Silesian Technical University, Inorganic Chemistry and Technology Institute,
ul. Krzywoustego 6, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
5. Candela Ltd., ul. Czarnieckiego 72, 01-541 Warsaw, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2003;12(2):187-192
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Arsenic content in the cultivated soils of an area affected by long-range atmospheric transport from the
Upper Silesian Industrial Region (southern Poland) and point emission sources (coal mine) was 8.7 mg/kg
on average. The calculated index of geoaccumulation pointed to moderate arsenic contamination of the soil.
The enrichment factor calculated as a ratio between arsenic content in the soil and arsenic content in the
earth crust applying the logarithmic values of reference elements (i.e. chromium and calcium) also classi-
fied the soil as moderately contaminated with arsenic.