Distribution of lead and zinc in podzolic soils and para-brown earths near the autobahn

Along the A46 motorway between Duesseldorf and Wuppertal, zinc and lead concentrations in the soil were measured near Hilden and Haan in two ecologically different sites. In the para-brown earths of the Mettmann elevated loess plane near Haan, which is used agriculturally, soil specimens were examined at 30 sites up to 1625 m north and 50 m south of the Autobahn 65 in different depths up to 1 meter. The geogenic lead and Zn fraction of the loess is 10 and/or 45 ppm. At a distance of 1 meter from the autobahn, concentrations of 3100 ppm of Zn and 870 ppm of lead were measured. It could be shown that the heavy metal distribution on the elevated loess plane does not depend on the distance from the autobahn alone. The second profile was set up in the Hilden city forest. This site has mostly podzolic soils. Sea sand is approximately 20 and/or 25 ppm. The accumulation of Zn and lead mainly occurred in the humic top soil and the litter layer. 1000 ppm (autobahn roadside) to 200 ppm of lead (500 meters of distance) were measured there. (orig.)