Heavy Metal Content of Roadside Soil in Edirne, Turkey

In this study, conducted between July 2006 and April 2007, trace metal concentrations of the roadside soil samples of Edirne urban area were investigated to determine Pb, Cu, Ni, and Zn content by Graphite-Atomic Absorption Spectrometer (GAAS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). Roadside soil samples were collected from 8 sites (384 soil samples). Soil samples were collected at distances 1, 5, and 10 meters from the roadside and taken at depths of 0-10 and 10-30cm from surfaces at every distance. The mean Pb, Cu, Ni, and Zn contents in the urban soil samples from Edirne (0.885-12.38, 6.64-25.81, 53.31-272.1, and 161.5-485.6mg/kg, respectively) were compared with mean concentrations for other cities around world. The results revealed higher concentrations of heavy metals in topsoil samples than in sub-surface samples. The relative standard deviations for Pb, Cu, Ni, and Zn were found to be 0.1-0.73%, 0.13-0.61%, 0.07-0.3%, and 0.05-0.24%, respectively.