Ecotoxicity Findings in Agricultural Soils of the Suburban and Industrial Areas of Košice

Abstract

The input of anthropogenic external pollutants is the main cause of environmental problems in agricultural soil. The main objective of the present study was to evaluate the potentially ecotoxicity of heavy metals in suburban and industrial agricultural soils from Košice, using biological tests (Phytotoxicity on Sinapis alba, acute and avoidance tests with the Dendrobaena veneta). The agricultural areas were selected, namely soils around the Košice, is exposed to suburban and industrial contamination sources such as municipal sphere (domestic waste), road traffic, coal burning and various industrial sources (U.S.Steel, TEKO). The total Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, Cr, Ni and Co concentrations and ecotoxicological tests of agricultural soils around the Košice were determined in 8 sampling sites, in the year 2024. Exceeded heavy metal concentration limits according to law No. 220/2004 coll. were in order Cu> As> Cr in study soils marked as Ťahanovce village (1). The highest median concentrations were in the case of Cu approximately 8.3 times; for As (1.2 times); and for Cr (1.1) more than limit value. Similarly, exceed median values of metals in soils of the Krásna (2), were in the order Cu > Cr > Zn, for copper (7.5) times more than limit; and also high median was in the case sample Barca (3) for chromium (3.6 time) more than limit value. The obtained results of the contact arrangement phytotoxicity showed that all sample soils around Košice (1 - 8) had less than 50% inhibition of the seed germination and root growth in the mustard Sinapis alba compared to the control soil. Low mortality effects were recorded in the acute tests with Dendrobaena veneta. The percentage of avoidance response of the earthworms found in the double control was within the range - 40 % to 90 % for the all agricultural soils around Košice. The significant (P<0.05) avoidance by Dendronaena veneta were 90% in soils from Gomboš (5) and from main Plant west of the U. S. Steel (7), Košice. Results indicate that the terrestrial pollution mainly comes from the vicinity of U.S. Steel Košice and agricultural activities have a certain impact and motor vehicle exhaust act too. Environmental monitoring and pollution assessment on the whole region are highly important to figure out the contamination level and spatial distribution of pollution.