Title : Urban sustainability at risk due to soil pollution by heavy metals and oil products—case study: Belgrade, Serbia
Abstract:
Soil sampling strategies have been established across Europe for the protection of the continent’s soils. However, for the territory of the Republic of Serbia, such strategies still do not exist for systematical monitoring of soil that would include collection of samples from the entire territory of Serbia in the same calendar year. Due to a rapid urbanization, most of the urban areas in Serbia are built close to roads or industrial areas, where they are under the impact of pollution sources such as industrial emissions. The current knowledge of the pollution of urban soils was reviewed with special reference to heavy metals, oil products and this study has demonstrated a serious problem of organic and inorganic contamination in urban area of Belgrade. Belgrade, the capital and the largest city in Serbia, is located in southeastern Europe, between latitude 44 and 49° and longitude 20 and 27°, 90–120 m above sea level. Belgrade is situated at the confluence of the Sava and the Danube Rivers. It is an important intersection of roads and industry and the commercial center of the country. With a growing population (around 1.7 million citizens; www.srbija.gov.rs) and economic development, the environmental quality of the urban sediments is becoming more significant in terms of human health. Numerous heating plants, coal or crude oil used for domestic heating and diesel vehicle exhaust are some of the potential sources of pollution in urban sediments and they are major problems in Belgrade. The Thermal Plant New Belgrade is located on the left bank of the Sava, in a residential and medium traffic area of Belgrade with more than 200,000 residents, about 1km from its confluence with the Danube. The Thermal Plant complex consists of storage tanks for crude oil and oil products (mainly gasoline, diesel fuel, mazut) and this plant was contaminated due to break-down of the mazut reservoirs (2009, during a gas crisis) and NATO bombing of the reservoirs (1999). Analysis of sediment samples for toxic and potentially toxic trace elements using chemical and eco-toxicological information would provide relevant data for an Ecological Risk Assessment study at this location. The area of the Thermal plant New Belgrade had not been used for agricultural purposes. Multiple indices have been used to evaluate the extent of contamination by aliphatic hydrocarbons, most of which suggest that anthropogenic input is a predominant contribution in alluvial area of New Belgrade. Multivariate statistical analysis was efficiently used to simplify the data sets on aliphatic hydrocarbons.
Background knowledge of the sources, chemistry, and potential risks of toxic organic and inorganic substances in contaminated soils is necessary for the selection of appropriate remedial options. Remediation of soil contaminated is necessary in order to reduce the associated risks,and scale down land tenure problems. Immobilization, soil washing, and phytoremediation are frequently listed among the best available technologies for cleaning contaminated soils but have been mostly demonstrated in developed countries.
Apparently, driving forces such as population growth and rampant industrialization have accelerated organic and inorganic pollutants concentrations. Last but not least, it is advisable that further focus on urban soil pollution be given, in order to preserve and protect the natural environment and citizens’ well-being, and it is imperative that local authorities preserve urban soil conditions.
Audience take away:
- Provides deep insight into soil quality evolution in the urban area of Belgrade city.
- This research will be beneficial to faculty for teaching and advance research.
- Advisable that further focus on urban soil pollution be given, in order to preserve and protect the natural environment and citizens well-being.
