Recent years have witnessed intensification of road traffic and, with it, the amount of substances emitted by vehicles. Such emissions need to be monitored for public health purposes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the highway traffic on the total content and bioavailability of Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd, Cr and Pb in nearby soils as well as influence of an acoustic screen on spatial distribution of the metals. The material included 40 soil samples collected from 15 research points located 5, 10, 25 and 50 m away from the road acoustic screen and from 4 points between the screen and the highway. Additionally, 5 research points were located next to the metal barrier. Selected physicochemical properties of soils were determined: soil texture, soil pH, TOC and CaCO3 content. The total content of heavy metals in the soils was determined by AAS after digestion in aqua regia and bioavailable forms in 1 M diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid. The research found low impact of the highway traffic on the content of heavy metals in soils; however, due to a very short period of this potential impact (5 years), the moderately polluted category of geo-accumulation index of cadmium and high bioavailability of lead indicate the need of repeating the research within the next several years. Furthermore, the road acoustic screen significantly influenced spatial distribution of the metals in soils.

Purpose The aim of the research was to determine the effect of lithogenic and pedogenic processes on the formation of Luvisols from the area of Vistula glaciation on the base of profile distribution of iron oxides and total iron in relation to texture and physicochemical properties. The indices of weathering of the soil material in genetic horizons were calculated, and changes in the content and forms of iron oxides were evaluated. Materials and methods The predominant type of soil in the study area is Luvisols under agricultural use, formed from silt formations on loam. The analyses were made applying the following methods: grain size composition using the sieve method and hydrometer method, the interpretation of the results was performed according to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources classification, the pH of soils was measured with the potentiometric method, C-organic with the WalkleyBlack dichromate method, the content of the following iron forms was determined (total iron (Fe t ) after the mineralization of soils in the mixture of HF and HClO 4 acids), free iron oxides were extracted using dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate method, and amorphous iron oxides after the ammonium oxalate extraction (using the Philips 9100PU apparatus). The clay mineralogy was estimated by X-ray diffraction analysis. Results and discussion It was observed that total iron enrichment occurs in argic horizons accompanied by iron depletion in luvic horizons, while the profile distribution of iron is similar to the distribution of clay. The (Fe d /Fe t ) ratio indicates a low degree of weathering; the highest values were observed in argic (Bt) horizons, which confirms the effect of the process of pedogenesis on the value of that index. In the soils investigated, crystalline iron oxides generally dominate over the amorphous forms. The mineralogical composition of clay fraction separated from the upper part of soils was different as compared to the underlying material. Conclusions The results of the study showed that iron contents (together with the other indicators) and its forms can be used to distinguish soil layers of different origin. The depth distribution of Fe d , Fe o and Fe t within soil profiles indicates that the soil material may be of different lithogenic origin in the studied pedons.

The aim of the research was to evaluate the influence of car traffic on the content of selected heavy metals in soil from a park area, and to define the dependency between their content and enzyme activity. Soil samples were collected from 13 points located along a communication route, each 100 m from the next and 50 m from the border of the road. Soil material was obtained from two depths (0–20 cm and 20–40 cm) and analysed for: pH in H2O and in KCl, OC, and texture by laser method. Total content of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu, Ni), available phosphorus and the activity of selected enzymes: catalase, dehydrogenase, acidic and alkaline phosphatase were all determined. The examined soils have the texture of loamy sands or sands (USDA 2012), slightly acidic or neutral pH, Organic Carbon (OC) content in the range from 3.50 to 13.80 g kg−1. The total contents of elements in surface horizons were, in order of decreasing concentrations: Pb>Zn>Cu>Ni>Cd, although in subsurface horizons it was Zn>Pb>Cu>Ni>Cd. Contamination Factor (CF) determined for Ni, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cu reaches higher values in samples from subsurface horizons, which confirms the influence of car traffic on the content of heavy metals in the surrounding soils. The calculated CF shows contamination is moderate for Ni, Cd, Zn and Cu and high for Pb and Cu. The investigated soils may be classified as class IV (low) in terms of available phosphorus. The activity of the examined enzymes was higher in soil samples collected from the 0–20 cm layer than from 20–40 cm. The correlation analysis indicates a significant positive dependency between OC content in soils and enzymatic activity. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was also performed. Two principal components PC1 and PC2 account for 66.57% of the variability.

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Forms of iron as an indicator of pedogenesis in profiles of selected soil types of the northern area of kujawsko-pomorskie province, PolandAbstract: The aim of the study was to determine types of soil-forming processes of the selected soils of Northern Poland, basing on the content and profile distribution of iron forms, and the calculated indicators of pedogenesis. The results confirmed the previous statements on the basis of morphological and textural analyses, hypothesis of soils genesis, thereby proving the usefulness of this kind of research in determining these processes. This research showed the beginning of brunification process in the Endogleyic Phaeozem, unnoticed in textural and morphological analysis, in which only the gleization process was previously identified. The content and distribution of iron forms (Fe d , Fe o , Fe c , Fe s ) in the profiles of the studied soils were characteristic for the type of soil and soil-forming process.

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The aim of the conducted research was the evaluation of the influence of increased pH on the content and mobility of nickel in arable soils in the surroundings of Małogoszcz Cement Plant. The physico-chemical properties of the investigated soils were determined by the methods commonly used in soil laboratories. The total content of Ni was determined after mineralization in the mixture of HF and HClO4 acids, and the content of forms available for plants, after the extraction with DTPA solution, using ASA method. The investigated soils are characterized as loamy sands or sands (PTG 2008). These soils have the content of C-organic in the range of 10.3.24.2 g·kg-1 in the surface horizons and 8.3.20.3 g·kg-1 in the subsurface horizons. The pH values allow to classify these soils as alkaline. In all of the investigated soils calcium carbonate occurs. The values of total content of nickel were in the range of 1.47.2.82 mg·kg-1 in surface horizons and 1.80.2.45 mg·kg-1 in subsurface horizons, which allows to classify these soils as soil with natural nickel content. The content of Ni-DTPA were in the range of 0.06.0.26 mg·kg.1. The sequential analysis of the obtained results indicates on significant statistically positive correlation between the total content of Ni and C-organic, which has the value of 0.648143 and between the content of Ni-DTPA and the content of fraction with Ø<0.002 mm, with the value of 0.581113 on p=0.05.