ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Assessment of Soil and Plant Contamination
by Select Heavy Metals Along a Major European
Highway
Radmila N. Pivić, Aleksandra B. Stanojković Sebić, Dragana Lj. Jošić
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Institute of Soil Science, Department for Soil Reclamation, 11000 Belgrade,
Teodora Drajzera 7, Republic of Serbia
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2013;22(5):1465-1472
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Our study examined soil and plant material for the contents of some elements along route E 75 through
Serbia (the section from Belgrade to Preševo), a length of 400 km. European route E 75 is part of the
International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.
Samples of soil and aerial parts of plant material were sampled from both sides of lanes at a distance of
about 8 km and at 10, 30, 50, and 400 m perpendicular to the direction of the route. In the soil samples we
determined pH in 1MKCl and content of total concentrations of Pb, Cu, Ni, and Hg. Plant materials were ana-
lyzed for Pb, Cu, Ni, and Hg.
It can be concluded that, besides anthropogenic pollution that is reflected in the excessive use of plant
protection products and fertilizers and also the impact of air pollution from motor vehicles in certain sections
of the examined area, the dominant influence on concentration of some examined elements comes from geo-
chemical composition of parent material from which the soils were developed.