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NICOLAE BUZGAR, University "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" of Iasi (Romania)
OVIDIU GABRIEL IANCU, University "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" of Iasi (Romania)
LAVINIU APOSTOAE, University "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" of Iasi (Romania)
MIHAELA LUNGU, Research Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry, ICPA (Romania)
MITICA PINTILEI , University "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" of Iasi (Romania)
DAN ASTEFANEI, University "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" of Iasi (Romania)
IULIANA BULIGA, University "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" of Iasi (Romania)
ALINA RAUS, University "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" of Iasi (Romania)
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The basic objective of this study is to pursue a systematic investigation concerning the content and distribution of Fe, Ni, Cr and Co, some of the heavy metals commonly found in the urban soils due to anthropogenic activities. The areas investigated in this paper are part of a more detailed study which covers a perimeter of approximately 16x16 km2 (the Iasi City and surroundings, from Romania). This study focused on a number of about 1000 samples from the agricultural and urban soils, and forests covering the N, E and S areas of the survey perimeter. Topsoil samples were collected on a grid of 500 m, from a depth of 0-25 cm, with a 25 cm long hand sampler. The minimum, maximum and average contents of the four heavy metals are (in g/g): Fe - 4215/45319/20320; Co - 4.9/27.9/9.68; Ni - 13.5/99.3/39.35; Cr - 6.4/115/33.09. Over 97% of the samples exhibit contents in Co and Ni that can be considered normal according to European Legislation (Directive 86/278/EEC). In the case of Cr, all the samples show normal contents. Spatial distribution of Fe, Co, Ni and Cr highlights a slight influence of polluting factors, namely power plants, responsible for Ni±Cr, respectively steelworks in the case of Co and Cr. Our study shows that industrial activity in Iasi did not cause severe pollution on the region's soils, because content values do not exceed normal ones. As such, soils in Iasi and surrounding areas fall into the category of unpolluted or slightly polluted soils, as classified by Kabata-Pendias et al. (1993).
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