Rieselfelder

Soils of the large sewage farm area south of Berlin are contaminated with heavy metals such as Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, Zn. Based on earlier studies the total amount and the bioavailable proportions of heavy metals in soil samples were analysed. In some samples very high levels of total heavy metal concentrations were detected. For Pb, Cd, Cu and Hg the maximum values were 1360, 29.7, 817 and 40.8 mg/kg soil dry matter, respectively. The biovailable fractions of heavy metals which were found primarily in the acetate and EDTA fractions and to a lesser degree in the water extract account for about 50 % (Pb, Ni), 70 % (Cd) or 90% (Zn) of their total amount and may therefore pose a considerable environmental risk.