Metals and metalloids in two size fractions of urban soils from playgrounds - distribution and oral bioaccessibility

The aim of this contribution was to measure the concentrations and oral bioaccessibility of a range of metal(loid)s (As, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sn, V, Zn) in two soil size fractions (<150 μm and <50 μm) separated from soils of urban playgrounds located in Bratislava (Slovakia). The main intention was to focus on soil size fractions that can adhere to the hands and thus be orally ingested into the human body (i.e. <150 μm). Specific aims were (i) to determine the pseudo-total content of 15 metals/metalloids in surface soils of playgrounds located in residential zones, urban parks and public kindergartens in Bratislava, (ii) to identify relationships among the elements through methods of Compositional Data Analysis (CoDA), and (iii) to determine experimentally the bioaccessibility of the elements in both soil size fractions. (authors)