Abstract

The industry is crucial for the economic development of the country, but at the same time, it is one of the biggest influences on the environment. The Mitrovica region faces numerous environmental problems due to the mining-industrial processes applied in the facilities of the industrial complex "Trepça". As a result of these processes, industrial waste with a toxic composition is created, which is considered a potential polluter of soil, air, water, and vegetation in this area. The study aims to determine the concentration of heavy metals including Pb, As, Zn, Ni, Co, Cr, Cd, and Cu in soil samples. Also, the level of soil pollution with heavy metals was examined, using pollution indicators, such as contamination factor (CF), degree of contamination (Cd), modified degree of contamination (mCd), pollution load index (PLI), and geo-accumulation index (Igeo). To carry out this research, we selected 6 sampling sites in the period May - August 2024, which were characterized and evaluated as the most critical points. The concentration of heavy metals in soil samples was determined using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP–OES Optima 2100 DV, Perkin-Elmer) by standard method US EPA 6010C. From the obtained results it was found that the level of heavy metals analyzed in this work, respectively the level of zinc (197.84 - 3456.14 mgkg-1), lead (204.75 - 3458.16 mgkg-1), and arsenic (30.76 – 634.56 mgkg-1) is relatively high and exceeds the allowed values ​​recommended by Kosovo and European Legislation.

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