Speciation of selected hazardous elements in soils with different vegetation cover in the black triangle region (Czech Republic)
Abstract
The "Black triangle region" is the name of area situated between east Germany, southwest Poland and northwest Czech Republic. This area was severally poluted during the 1970s - 1990s by emissions from heavy industry and coal-burning power.
Contamination of forest soils in Krušné hory Mts. were studied to determine speciation of heavy metals. Načetín, in the Krušné Hory Mts of the northwestern Czech Republic, was chosen as representative of a contaminated site, because it neighbours industrial cities and thermal powerplants.
We studied spruce, beech and unforested stands located near the border between the Czech Republic and Germany in the Ore Mountains, close to village Načetín (Czech Republic). All those stands have exhibited similar climatic and pollution conditions in the past.The soils were sampled from three sites (spruce, beech and unforested area; in Načetín (Czech Republic) in october 2010.
Samples of individual soil horizons in spruce (litter (A0), A, B and C horizons), beech (litter (A0), A1, A2 , B and C horizons) and unforested area (A, B and C horizons) were studied by BCR sequential extraction procedure. Toxic trace (As, Zn, Sb, Pb, Cd, Co) and major elements were determined by ICP OES and ICP MS methods.