Effects of urbanization on heavy metal accumulation in surface soils, Beijing

Urbanization processes affect the accumulation of heavy metals in urban soils. Effects of urbanization on heavy metal accumulation in soils were studied using Beijing as an example. It has been suggested that the ecological function of vegetation covers shifting from natural to agricultural settings and then to urban greenbelts could increase the zinc(Zn) concentrations of soils successively. The Zn concentration of urban soils was significantly correlated to the percentage of the impervious land surface at the500 m × 500 m spatial scale. For urban parks, the age or years since the development accounted for 80% of the variances of cadmium(Cd) and Zn in soils. The population density,however, did not affect the heavy metal distributions in urban soils. To conclude, the urban age turned out to be a notable factor in quantifying heavy metal accumulation in urban soils.     

Environmental impact of historical harbour city Zadar (Croatia) on the composition of marine sediments and soils

Sediment samples and soils along the coast line of the Adriatic Sea were sampled along a transect near the coast line at Zadar/Croatia, ranging from north-western suburbs via the historical centre and the industrial area to south-east suburbs. The sediments were dominated by carbonates and clay minerals, and contaminations with Cd-Cu-Pb-Zn-TOC (total organic carbon) at the historical centre and the industrial site were detected, as well as P and Mo input at the mouth of a small creek, probably from agriculture. No trends between the composition of surface and subsurface sea sediments were seen. At the historic harbour site, total element concentrations versus grain size showed a minimum in the fine silt fraction for most of the elements analysed. The soil samples behind the shoreline were not carbonaceous, but dominated by Fe-Al- oxides, some contained high levels of Be-Cd-Cu-Sn-Zn. Surprisingly, high TOC values within the soils might be assigned to human impacts, not to humus. Contrary to data from street dust samples from Seoul city/Korea, which were measured within our laboratory at the same time, Pt-Ir-Au were at ambient levels due to the limited use of catalysts in cars in the Zadar area at the time of sampling.