ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Heavy Metals Contamination in Soils of a Small
Town with Intensive Road Traffic
Sławomir Roj-Rojewski, Magdalena Klimaszewska
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Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Białystok University of Technology,
Wiejska 45A, 15-351 Białystok, Poland
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2014;23(5):1711-1717
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
There is very little information on soil pollution in small towns in Poland. This research was conducted
in 2010 to determine the degree of soil contamination by select heavy metals (Cd, Pb, Ni, Co, Cu, Cr) in
Grajewo – a small town with intensive road traffic in northeastern Poland. Analyzed soils were mostly alkaline
and characterized by very low clay fraction and humus content, which makes them not resistant to heavy
metals contamination. According to the guideline established by IUNG and regulations of the minister of the
environment concerning the standards for soil quality and land quality, the top layers of analyzed soils (0-20
cm) were polluted by cadmium, mostly at a low level (class II). Increased content (class I) in a substantial part
of the town was also found in the case of nickel. The concentrations of lead, cobalt, copper, and chromium in
soils generally corresponded to the natural content. The content of almost all determined heavy metals was
correlated, which may indicate the same source of origin.