ASSESSMENT OF HEAVY METALS CONTAMINATION IN RECREATIONAL PARKS OF POZNAN

City Recreational Parks (RP) exert important functions for inhabitants of great agglomerations. They create peculiar ecosystem subjected to high pressure of anthropogenic factors (ie, motorization, maintenance, dusts), which may be a source of heavy metal contamination. Four parks located within the city Poznan have been: RP Marcinkowski (RPM), RP Solacki (RPS), RP Wodziczko (RPW) and RP Piatkowo (RPP). The aim of the work was to apply different quantitative methods for assessing heavy metal contamination state of these parks and to outline the encountered difficulties in the choice of the appropriate method. On the basis of the assessment made by the IUNG suggestion [16], it appeared, that soils of all Recreational Parks may be considered as not contaminated by Pb, Cu and Zn. Cadmium was the main contaminant of RPM, RPS and RPW soils. The use of data representing the geochemical background [17], classifies soils of all parks as contaminated to polluted, even, whereas the evaluation made on the basis of mean heavy metal contents of Polish soils [18], stated that cadmium solely exceeded the reference value. Criteria reported in the Minister of Environment Directive [19] dealing with heavy metal thresholds seem to be less restrictive. The resulting assessment revealed that soils of investigated parks are free of any contamination.