Investigation of potentially toxic elements in urban sediments in Belgrade, Serbia

Concentrations of 10 potentially toxic trace elements were measured in soil samples collected from 18 sites in urban areas of Belgrade, the capital and the largest city in Serbia. Samples were analysed in order to assess the extent of soil contamination and to distinguish natural and anthropogenic input. The results demonstrated a general Zn, Pb, and Cd enrichment in surface samples, hence, after comparison with guidelines, it has been determined that there is a potential risk for human health. In the surface and buried samples, traces of cooper were detected. The highest concentrations of Cr (121 ± 12.3 mg/kg) and Ni (94.9 ± 12.6 mg/kg) were found at a sediment depth of 2 m and should be ascribed to geogenic sources. The results of HCA and PCA analysis supported a natural origin of Co, Cu, Mn, Cr, and Ni, while Cd, Zn, and Pb originated from anthropogenic inputs. Based on the pollution indices, Cd made the most dominant contribution, posing a high contamination risk in the studied area. Results of Nemerow pollution index (PI) and potential ecological risk index (PER) demonstrated that pollution by heavy metals in sediments on several sites is moderately intense.