Geochemical Assessment of Heavy Metals Pollution of Urban Soils

Abstract

Metals associated with urban soils are of environmental concern because of their direct and indirect effects on human health. The main purposes of this study undertaken in the city of Poznan (Poland) were to identify heavy metals with dangerous environmental load and to define areas of their environmental impact. Measured concentrations of cadmium, lead, copper and zinc in surface horizon and background soils were used to estimate the geochemical load indices and their spatial distribution in urban soils. It was found that concentrations of heavy metals were higher than geochemical background in 61% of the samples for Cadmium, 47% of samples for Lead, 49% of samples for Copper, and 61% of samples for Zinc. Contaminated areas by heavy metals are concentrated around industrial plants and in the center of the city as well as along highways.