Soil contamination with potentially toxic elements in the municipality of Bor

Abstract

In the territory of the municipality of Bor, 69 samples were taken from agricultural lands at a depth of 0-30 cm, in which the total content of arsenic, chromium, copper, nickel, lead, zinc, and cobalt was determined. The study area is dominated by dystric cambisol, vertisol, calcomelanosol, and eutric cambisol. The results show that the main pollutants are As and Cu, in 18.8% and 30.4% above the MDK. Also, the calculation method Median + 2MAD determined the background limits of PTES in the soil, then the environmental risk index and pollution index, which indicates the degree of moderate pollution with arsenic in 4.3%, samples, copper in 10.2% of samples, and heavy pollution with copper in 1.4% of the samples. PCA analysis and correlation highlighted the component with high values of As, Cu, Pb, which indicate anthropogenic activities, and the component with high values of Ni, Co, and Cr, which indicate the background. The zone with the potentially harmful impact of As and Cu in the wider vicinity of Bor, Ostrelj - Slatina - Brestovac presentation the subject of continuous monitoring with the aim of implementing land repair and remediation measures.