Alicja KICIŃSKA
AGH – University of Science and Technology, Faculty of Geology, Geophysics and Environment Protection, Department of Environment Protection, Mickiewicza Av. 30, 30–345 Cracow, kicinska@geol.agh.edu.pl

ASSESSMENT OF THE ROAD TRAFFIC IMPACT ON ACCUMULATION OF SELECTED ELEMENTS IN SOILS DEVELOPED ON KRYNICA AND BYSTRICA SUBUNIT (MAGURA NAPPE, POLISH OUTER CARPATHIANS)

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The investigations aimed at assessing an impact of road traffic on the presence and the variability of Zn, Pb, Cr, As, Ti and Ni in soils of a protected area, i.e., the Poprad Landscape Park (Magura Nappe, Outher Carpathian). Soils collected represented three sets: basic samples, control samples and samples expected to be under the highest anthropopression. The assessment was based on determinations of the pH and the genetic type of soils, their total contents of the metals mentioned, and the forms in which cations are bound in the soils. Statistic parameters of these data (coefficients of variability and accumulation) formed the basis to identify the areas of the highest and lowest impact of road traffic on soils. The soils most affected are located in the 5-m wide belt next to the road margin. They reveal a significant change of soil pH and an increase of concentration of metals, mainly of Cd, Pb and Zn, in comparison to the geochemical background determined for the study area. Also the fraction of metals bound in the easily soluble forms is significantly higher in the soils adjacent to the road than that in the soils of the control set (samples of the lowest contamination); it is particularly expressed for Zn, Pb and Cd