TLC, GC and HPLC methods were employed to determine a concentration level of 16 PAHs in the surface level of soils subjected to a differentiated level of anthropopressure from the Poznań municipal area. PAH pollution was confirmed, primarily local pollution of soils at car and bus wash sites and fuel pumping stations and garden sites located in communal garden plots situated on previously recultivated areas. Research on such a broad scale was undertaken for the first time as well as a discussion in consideration of legal norms in force in Poland and worldwide. A low PAH level in the soils of the Poznań municipal area is confirmed by their biodegradation combined with the surface soil layer.