The high contents of lead in soils of northern Kosovo

A soil-based geochemical survey was carried out in an area of about 350 km2 in northern Kosovo around the Zvečan Pb-Zn smelter. The concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sb, Tl, Th, U, Zn were determined in 452 topsoil and 82 subsoil samples. High contents of Pb, Cd, As, Sb, Zn and Cu were found in topsoil over a vast area including the Ibar and Sitnica river valleys. The highest concentrations were usually measured close to the Zvečan smelter. In some zones, the lead contents in surface soils exceeded 5000 mg/kg. Arsenic and antimony levels were usually more than 200 and 50 mg/kg, respectively, while cadmium contents were in the range 5-20 mg/kg. South of the Zvečan area, lead, antimony and cadmium pollution was strong in the densely populated urban area of Kosovska Mitrovica and along the agricultural alluvial plain of the Sitnica River. Depending on the chemical element, the pollution extended 15-22 km north and south of the Zvečan smelter. There was a progressive decrease of heavy element concentrations with increasing distance from the smelting plant. The contents of Pb, Zn, Cu, As, Cd, Sb significantly decreased with soil depth; in fact, the pollution only affected the upper 50 cm of soil. Crops were affected by soil pollution and many food-stuffs exceeded the EU standards. Suggestions for soil remediation are given.