Schwermetallgehalte in Waldböden Nordrhein-Westfalens -Klassifizierung und kartographische Auswertung

Many forest areas in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) are contaminated with heavy metals. To evaluate this pollution of forest soils and its geographical distribution all available literature data on total heavy metal contents in forest soils of North Rhine-Westphalia were included in this study. The results show that an accumulation of heavy metals, especially of Pb. occurred in the litter layer and in the topsoil. The highest values were measured in the vicinity of industrial areas and at elevated locations such as Egge Mountains and Teutoburger Forest. About 50 % of the samples from the litter layer and the topsoil have pH values below 3.4. Since the translocation of heavy metals in the soil profile at this low pH increases, potential risk from the mobilization of high stores in the litter layer was estimated for several locations of North Rhine-Westphalia.