Data Processing for Heavy Metals Accumulation in Urban Areas

Abstract

Industrial activities, coal burning, and automobile exhausts are mainly responsible for the increasing emissions of heavy metals into the atmosphere. Heavy metals are easily dissolved in rainwater and deposited over local, regional, and global scale making a major ecological and health problem. In the urban area of Belgrade the ambient air concentration of Zn in the PM10 and PM2.5 was the highest but the limit values of toxic trace elements according to WHO and EC Air quality guidelines were not exceeded with regards to Ni. In some surface waters of Serbia presence of harmful Substances Cr6+ and Hg was also confirmed. Depleted Depleted Uranium (DU) is toxic for living organisms as a heavy metal. An investingation of the contents of DU in the soil of targeted locations on West Balkan Countries shows that mobile phases are in the range 50-90% which is indicated strong affinity for DU mobilization through the soils and potential dangerous for underground waters.