Abstract
This paper reports 8 years (2000–2007) of research results conducted in the soils of Albania aiming the establishment and the degree of pollution by heavy metals and their spatial distribution. One hundred and two soil samples (0–30 cm) from five representative soil types formed on different parent materials and wide physiographic regions of the country were sampled. Soil samples were analysed for total concentration of Pb, Ni, Cr and Co (Aqua Regia method) and for the main soil physical/chemical properties. Results showed that the total content of heavy metals varied widely between soil types as well as within the soil types. The highest total heavy metals concentrations were: 500, 761, 1,040 and 360 mg kg–1 for Pb, Ni, Cr and Co respectively. In many sites, concentration of heavy metals was higher than the limits permitted by the EU. Significant correlation between heavy metals and clay, pH and CEC were found. The thematic maps and the geostatistical analysis were performed using ArcGIS (v. 8.3.) and the extensions of Geostatistical and Spatial Analyst. Spatial distribution of heavy metals content in the studied areas was displayed via digitised maps. The thematic maps of heavy metals are expected to constitute an important tool, since they provide important information for the contamination levels and are vital for environmental risk assessments.
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Belalla, S., Salillari, I., Doko, A., Gjoka, F., Cenameri, M. (2010). Content of Heavy Metals in Albanian Soils and Determination of Spatial Structures Using GIS. In: Zdruli, P., Pagliai, M., Kapur, S., Faz Cano, A. (eds) Land Degradation and Desertification: Assessment, Mitigation and Remediation. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8657-0_30
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-8657-0_30
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