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
 
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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.
eISSN:2083-5906
ISSN:1230-1485
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