Abstract
Due to the high toxicity of the element itself and its compounds, mercury poses a significant threat to the human natural environment, in particular to the soil and water environment. An additional risk is the possibility of mercury accumulation in various elements of the environment. Soil is one of the most important elements of the natural environment and is the main link in the mercury cycle. The cycle of this element is related to both the natural processes taking place in the environment and human activity. The presence of mercury in the natural environment poses a particularly high risk of its re-accumulation as a result of its re-emission. The aim of the research was to determine the mercury content in the upper layers of soils collected from the area and buffer zone of the Mazowiecki Landscape Park as a potential source of this element’s re-emission to the environment. The paper presents the results of research on mercury content in the upper soil layer from the areas adjacent to the communication routes running through the area of the Mazowiecki Landscape Park and its buffer zone. The mercury content in the analyzed soil samples collected from the area of the Mazowiecki Landscape Park ranged from 0.082 mgHg·kg−1 dm to 0.183 mgHg·kg−1 dm, and in the soils from the cover, these values were slightly higher and ranged from 0.125 mgHg·kg−1 dm up to 0.362 mgHg·kg−1 dm. In order to avoid uncontrolled re-emission and, consequently, possible accumulation of this element in the environment, it is necessary to continue monitoring the level of mercury contamination, among others, in soil.
Highlights
Masovian Landscape Park is a protected area in east-central Poland, established in1986, on a part of the former Siedlce Province and enlarged in 1987 by a part of the formerWarsaw Province [1,2]
Soil samples collected for research from the selected area of the Masovian Landscape
Park were characterized by a significant share of sand and an acidic reaction, which may contribute to leaching of mercury from the upper layers
Summary
Masovian Landscape Park is a protected area in east-central Poland, established in1986, on a part of the former Siedlce Province and enlarged in 1987 by a part of the formerWarsaw Province [1,2]. Masovian Landscape Park is a protected area in east-central Poland, established in. 1986, on a part of the former Siedlce Province and enlarged in 1987 by a part of the former. Warsaw Province [1,2]. The Park covers an area of 15,710 ha. A buffer zone covering an area of 7992 ha was created around the Park. The buffer zone of the park is not a continuous zone, and its border in some places overlaps with the Park border [3]. Mazovian Landscape Park is located in the sub-province of Central Poland Lowland, the macro-region—Central Mazovian Lowland and meso-regions: Middle Vistula Valley, Garwolinska Plain and Wołomińska Plain. The analyzed area is characterized by high forest cover, in which pine dominates [4,5]
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