Geostatistical modelling of soil contamination with arsenic, cadmium, lead, and nickel: the Silesian voivodeship, Poland case study

The increasing number of spatial data sets permits their application for minimising the duration and cost of such research. An example of such application is geostatistical modelling. Data on the quality of atmospheric air can be used for the assessment of the quality of soil in a given area. The objective of the study was an attempt to apply geostatistical methods in the estimation of the degree of soil contamination with selected heavy metals resulting from deposition from atmospheric air. This paper uses data obtained from the State Environmental Monitoring (data on the quality of atmospheric air) and other collections of publicly available spatial data for the purpose of analysis of the state of quality of soils in the province of Silesia in Poland. Conducted analyses revealing that contamination with lead in atmospheric air in the Silesian voivodeship considerably exceeds acceptable values, and the load of lead deposition is largely transferred to the soil. The paper also presents geochemical maps necessary to understand sources of soil contamination, including their natural content. Keywords: soil contamination; heavy metals; geostatistical modelling; geochemical maps; lead deposition