Trace metals in surface soils under different land uses in Kielce city, south-central Poland

Abstract

This work presents the influence of land use in Kielce on the spatial differentiation of heavy metals in the near-surface soil layer. The aim is to determine the amounts of ten trace elements (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) contained in soil samples of five land use categories (residential areas, roads, urban greenery, allotment gardens, agricultural areas) in the city and to evaluate the contamination using geochemical indicators. The Clarke values of Earth’s crust and the average content of the elements in Poland’s soils are exceeded only for Pb and Zn (N = 60). Soils of urban greenery and residential areas stand out in this respect. Particularly noteworthy is the fact that a high content of As has been documented in the soils of allotment gardens and confirmed by high values of the geoaccumulation index (moderate to high pollution) in relation to the Clarke values and to average contents in Poland's soils. The highest average Pb content has been found in the areas of urban greenery and residential areas. The integrated pollution index (IPI) in terms of maximum values indicates high level of metal pollution of soils in all forms of land use, except for agricultural areas (moderate). On average, IPI and potential ecological risk index are low.