The content of metals in soils is an indicator for assessing soil quality. Many procedures are available for determining metals in soils. The risk assessment of metals in soils is set down in legislation of the Czech Republic, in leaching by 2 mol/L nitric acid. The decree also sets the rules of evaluation of the quality of sediments scattered across the nearby fields during the revitalization of the dam.
Sediments from Luhačovice dam were deposited on nearby fields. The contents of Cd, Cu, Hg, Ni, and Pb were determined in mixed samples. The content was determined using AAS methods. Mercury was determined directly in soil samples using CV AAS. The other metals were determined by F AAS and ET AAS in leachate by 2 mol/L nitric acid.
The contents of Cd, Cu, Hg, and Pb comply with the limit given by the legislative norm. However, the content of Ni exceeded the limits in all three sets of samples.
Therefore, the leachates by 0.05 mol/L ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and 1 mol/L ammonium nitrate were analysed. These additional analyses showed the content of these forms of Ni lower by an order of magnitude, therefore Ni is not of significant risk.