Change of Mn, Ni, and Zn concentrations in soils in the city center of Kastamonu and nearby by the use of soil

Abstract

Environment pollution, especially heavy metal pollution, became one of the most important problems of urban areas. Heavy metals in the air threatening human and environmental health pass to the soil after a while. Thus, soil is the medium, which can reflect the level of pollution at best. In the present study, among the heavy metals posing threat to human health, Mn, Ni, and Zn concentrations were determined in soil samples taken from 15 points, which had different characteristics, in the city center of Kastamonu province and the changes in these heavy metals by location were compared using statistical methods. As a result, it was determined that rather than anthropogenic factors, the concentrations of these heavy metals in the soil samples were shaped by the soil lithology.