Assessment of phytotoxicity, environmental and health risks of historical urban park soils

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 220; pp. 678 - 686
• Main Authors: Brtnický, Martin, Pecina, Václav, Hladký, Jan, Radziemska, Maja, Koudelková, Zuzana, Klimánek, Martin, Richtera, Lukáš, Adamcová, Dana, Elbl, Jakub, Galiová, Michaela Vašinová, Baláková, Ludmila, Kynický, Jindřich, Smolíková, Vendula, Houška, Jakub, Vaverková, Magdalena Daria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2019
• Subjects: cadmium; Contamination; copper; ecosystems; Health risk assessment; Heavy metals; lead; Phytotoxicity; risk; Soil; soil pollution; soil sampling; toxicity testing; Urban park; urban parks; urban soils; zinc; Urban park; Soil; Phytotoxicity; Health risk assessment; Contamination; Heavy metals
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.12.188
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298

Urban soil areas can be contaminated with potentially dangerous heavy metals (HM), which might have got there by means of the human activity. The aim of the present study was to determine the contamination level of the city park soils and its impact on urban ecosystem. The indices assessing soil contamination such as Enrichment Factor (EF), Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo), Nemerow Pollution Index (IPIN), and indices assessing health risks, namely Hazard Index (HI) and Carcinogenic Risk (CR), have been calculated. Furthermore, the phytotoxic effect of the soil samples has been determined. The soil contains in average 58.6 mg/kg Zn, 0.3 mg/kg Cd, 27.2 mg/kg Pb and 16.6 mg/kg Cu. Based on EF index, it has been confirmed that the increased amounts of Zn, Cd and Pb in the soil are of the anthropogenic origin. The soil may be classified as moderately to strongly polluted in the case of Zn and Pb according to Igeo. Nevertheless, soil contamination in the park is at a safe level as per IPIN. Based on HI and CR indices, it is possible to state that the soil in the park does not pose any health risks. Subject to the outcomes of the toxicity test, the concentrations of HMs found out in the soils are not inhibitory for plants. [Display omitted] •Soils from Urban Park might cause a number of negative environmental impacts.•This study assesses a comprehensive environmental risk of heavy metals pollution in soils from Urban Park.•Electrochemical methods were used to explore contamination of heavy metals in soils.•Zn, Pb and Cd in soils were present at relatively low levels.