Процена деградације земљишта услед загађења потенцијално токсичним елементима (PTEs)

Abstract

The potentially toxic elements (PTEs), (synonyms: microelements, heavy metals or trace elements) in the soil originate from natural as well as from anthropogenic sources, which have been significantly intensified since the Industrial Revolution. By definition, soil pollution refers to the presence of a chemical or substance, which can have negative effects on certain receptors in soil, in a concentration usually higher than natural (background), while soil contamination refers to the presence of PTEs in a concentration higher than natural, but not necessarily with harmful effects. Taking into account the importance of preserving the multifunctional character of the soil, it is important to define the limit values of PTEs for contaminated soils, as well as their background values. It is desirable to determine their background values at the regional level, for soils formed on different parent materials. Great efforts have been made in that direction so far, but determining the background value remains the great challenge, primarily from the point of view of the methodology applied. Risk assessment of the impact of contaminated soil is a complex, multi-layered process addressed in this chapter. Methods for determining the origin of the PTEs in soil are listed, as well as methods for estimating the degree of pollution. The most commonly used pollution indices for defining the degree of pollution in different ways of land use are considered. It is common to use several pollution indices at the same time to assess the impact of the PTEs in the soil on the environment, and the geological index and enrichment factor (Igeo and EF) are listed as significant and universal among individual indices, while the index of potential environmental risk (RI) stands out among more complex ones.