REGIONAL GEOCHEMICAL SURVEYS ON HEAVY-TOXIC METALS (Pb, Zn and Cd) IN SOIL SAMPLES FROM THE VELES CITY AREA AND ITS SURROUNDINGS

摘要

Regional geochemical surveys on the heavy-toxic metals content (Pb, Zn and Cd) in the soil samples from the Veles city and its surroundings have been carried out. A Pb-anomalous zone (characterised with size of cca 7x2 km, extending from the NW to the SE-part of the map with Pb contents ranged inside 100-1000 ppm Pb of anthropogenic origin) was determined in the soil samples around the Pb-Zn furnace factory from the Veles city area. The most polluted areas inside this Pb anomalous zone are actually the soils surfaces immediately around the mentioned Pb-Zn furnace as well as the urban part of the Veles city and Vrshnik hill. A narrow (cca 0.5 km and long cca 3-3.5 km) Pb anomalous zone of anthropogenic origin (characterised with 400-1000 ppm Pb) was determined also in the soil samples along the main road Veles-Skopje. The Zn anomalous zone in the soil samples of the investigated area is actually compatible with the mentioned Pb-anomalous zone, although the most intensive polluting Zn halo (characterised with 300-900 ppm Zn) was determined on cca 1-2 km just around the Pb-Zn furnace factory. A Cd-anomalous zone was also determined on the field of the examined Veles city area. Thus, the most intensive Cd-polluted soil surfaces were also those around the Pb-Zn furnace factory with 11-50 ppm Cd, although another Cd-polluted soil surface (with 5-10 ppm Cd) was recognised at the Vrshnik micro-locality.