Assessment of heavy metal content in soil and grasslands in national park of the lake plateau of the N. P. “Durmitor” Montenegro

Abstract

Investigations were conducted in the N.P. Durmitor area of Montenegro where anthropogenic activities are negatively impacting forests and grasslands. According to meteorological data, this area has been polluted with heavy metals via aero deposition. The aim of this paper was to present an assessment which describes the content of heavy metals in the top soil layer (0 to 20 cm) and the corresponding vegetation cover. Linear regression was used to explain the relationship between heavy metals in the soils and plants. Statistically significant correlation coefficients were determined between content of heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd) in the soil and plants. Since a statistical significant correlation existed, it was possible to suggest that, increasing the content of heavy metals in the soil will influence an increase in the content of heavy metals in the vegetation cover. Also, transfer factor (TF) values were used to assess the concentrations of elements in plants taken from the soil. The highest transfer factors were obtained for Zn and Cu followed by Cd, with Pb been the least. According to values of TF in the studied conditions, the content of Zn, Cu and Cd were greater in the mobile fractions than in the nonmobile fractions, but the content of Pb was not mobile and available for plants. Thus, we were able to conclude that, soil properties and the form of heavy metals in the soil influence the uptake of heavy metals from the soil by the vegetation cover.

Key words: Soil, grassland vegetation, heavy metals, relationship, transfer factor.