Evaluation of the content of Zn, Cu, Ni and Pb as well as the enzymatic activity of forest soils exposed to the effect of road traffic pollution

• Published in: Environmental science and pollution research international 2017-10, Vol.24 (30), p.23893-23902
• Main Authors: Bartkowiak, Agata, Lemanowicz, Joanna, Breza-Boruta, Barbara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acid phosphatase; Acids; Alkaline phosphatase; Aquatic Pollution; Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution; Catalase; Clay minerals; Copper; Copper - analysis; Copper - chemistry; Decomposing organic matter; Dehydrogenases; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Environmental Pollution - analysis; Environmental science; Enzymatic activity; Enzyme activity; Forest soils; Forests; Heavy metals; Humus; Lead; Lead - analysis; Lead - chemistry; Mathematical analysis; Metals; Metals, Heavy - analysis; Nickel; Nickel - analysis; Nickel - chemistry; Organic carbon; Phosphatase; Pollution; Pollution index; Research Article; Roads; Soil; Soil analysis; Soil classification; Soil Pollutants - analysis; Soil Pollutants - chemistry; Soil pollution; Soil resistance; Traffic; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Zinc; Zinc - analysis; Zinc - chemistry
• ISSN: 0944-1344; 1614-7499
• DOI: 10.1007/s11356-017-0013-3

The paper evaluates the contents of total forms of selected heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Ni and Pb) as well as the activity of catalase (CAT), dehydrogenases (DEH), alkaline phosphatase (AlP) and acid phosphatase (AcP) in mineral surface horizons of forest soils exposed to the effect of road traffic pollutions. The sampling locations ( n  = 24) were determined in the area covered by the Szubin Forest along the exit road from Bydgoszcz to Poznań (provincial road no. 223). Soil was sampled 25 m away from the traffic lane, from two depths, 5–20 cm (humus horizons) and 20–50 cm (eluvial horizons). The contents of the heavy metals analysed were in the order of Pb > Zn > Cu > Ni. Despite intensive road traffic, with the Integrated Pollution Index ( IPI ) calculated, there was found a low pollution with nickel, average with zinc and copper and high with lead only. However, under the Regulation of the Minister of Environment, heavy metal values recorded allow for classifying the soils analysed as soils unpolluted with those metals. In the soil samples analysed, there were found significant positive dependencies between the content of clay fraction and zinc ( r  = 0.455; P   alkaline phosphatase > dehydrogenases (humus horizons) and catalase > dehydrogenases > alkaline phosphatase > acid phosphatase (eluvial horizons). Organic carbon showed a significant positive correlation with the activities of alkaline ( r  = 0.668; P