engleski

Influence of different habitat types on heavy metal content along railway lines

There are many studies on heavy metals in the scientific literature, but relatively few of them relate to surfaces along the railway lines. This is worrying because the network of railway lines is built all over the world, and it passes through cities, settlements, agricultural and natural areas, and represents a significant source of environmental pollution. In order to increase knowledge on this issue, during 2014, in the northwestern Croatia, 60 soil samples were collected along railway lines in six common habitat types (i - habitats without plants, ii - with annual plants, iii - with horsetail, iv - mowed surfaces with dandelion, v - abandoned habitats in succession, vi - stands with goldenrod). The content of 29 chemical elements was determined using a high resolution inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (HR-ICP-MS). The results show higher mass concentrations of heavy metals in the habitats i, ii and iii. However, beside the habitat types, elevated concentrations of heavy metals are also affected by the following factors: soil texture, humus content, soil reaction, distance from the tracks, sampling site functionality, topography, and age of railway. The concentrations of the following chemical elements (in relation to the median for European soils and background values) were found to be particularly elevated: As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, and Zn.

heavy metals ; railway ; habitats ; Croatia

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