Quantification of the contributions from traffic source to arable roadside soil heavy metal loadings is a challenge. The contribution depends on: traffic intensity, road type and distance from the road. At a field scale (3.9 ha), 720 topsoil samples were taken. The aim of the study was to monitor and assess the impact of regional/ local roads with various conditions of traffic and period of use on the distribution of Cd, Zn, Pb and Cu in the arable roadside topsoil in their vicinity. PCA indicated the occurrence of two main gradients of 11 environmental elements influencing the distribution of heavy metals in the soils of the neighbouring land. The first gradient was associated mainly with the distance from the edge of the road. The second gradient was associated with the degree of contamination of the soils and with the road type, defined by the traffic volume and period of being use. Anova reviled lack of influence of the factors for Cu contents. Unlike Cu, for Cd, Pb and Zn, the significant impact was observed for both factors and interactions between them. The concentrations of Cd, Pb and Zn, regardless of the distance from the road were 0.21-0.58 mg Cd kg −1 d.m., 13.60-41.96 mg Pb kg −1 d.m. and 40.31-63.97 mg Zn kg −1 d.m. In case of increasing distance from the road, generally the contents of Pb, Zn and Cd contents were decreasing. However, only in the case the oldest and carrying the highest traffic road was a clear, statistically significant differences noted for following distances from the road on the content of Cd, Pb and Zn. Analysis of spread gave trend curves, for Pb, Cd and Zn they were parabolas. The curves let reduce sapling distances to 65 m, 45 and 47 m for Cd, Pb and Zn, respectively.

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Coal combustion ash-slag mixtures have been deposited in landfills in Poland for decades. At the same time, there is a shortfall in the amount of available materials related to the construction and modernisation of transportation infrastructure. Thus, a typical landfill of a power station was chosen and the aim of the study was to assess the suitability of an ash-slag landfill mixture for construction engineering purposes. The following physicochemical analyses were conducted: pH, specific electrical conductivity and determination of the leachability of basic (Ca, Na, K and Mg) and trace elements (Cd, Pb, Cr, Zn and Cu). The content of selected basic and trace elements were determined in the eluates by FAAS and standard methods were applied for geotechnical analyses. The most likely conditions were assumed to the model. The mixture will not jeopardize surface water quality in terms of the concentrations of basic, hazardous or priority elements. The content of these elements also does not exceed permissible concentrations for groundwater. The conductance and pH of the eluates are in compliance with current laws. The solid mixture has favourable geotechnical parameters which are significantly dependent on moisture content. The slope stability calculations for embankments created from the mixture at optimum moisture content and high compaction (I S ≥ 0.95) indicate that they will be stable even in the case of high gradients (1:1.5). The slopes will be unstable in conditions of submersion, which should not occur if we assume the embankment will be used for passive flood protection. The mixture is particularly suitable for the purposes of earth structures, provided that they are isolated from water.

Industrial waste landfills might cause contamination of agricultural land, forests, surface water and groundwater through migration of toxic substances, including heavy metals, posing a threat to all living organisms, including humans. The aim of the study was to assess the variation in Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu content in plants growing on a zinc and lead post-flotation tailings dump. The concentrations of the elements in the shoots and leaves of silver birch, black locust, common rowan, herbaceous plants and soil were determined by the flame atomic adsorption spectrophotometry (FAAS) method. The statistical nalysis indicates a significant relationship between the Pb and Zn concentrations and the plant species, plant part, and location on the dump. Differences in cadmium concentrations depending on the plant species were also statistically significant. None of these relationships was significant in the case of copper content. The mean biological concentration factors (BCF) were higher in plants growing on the southern slope of the dump. Of the elements analysed, zinc and cadmium were accumulated in larger quantities than lead and copper.

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