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Does the Function of Railway Infrastructure Determine Qualitative and Quantitative Composition of Contaminants (PAHs, Heavy Metals) in Soil and Plant Biomass?

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Abstract

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heavy metals are the two most important groups of pollutants associated with rail transport. Both have a serious negative impact on the natural environment, including human health and degradation of sensitive ecosystems. In our study, apart from qualitative and quantitative analysis of the main PAHs and heavy metals associated with rail, we tried to assess composition of specific compounds related to functional areas of railway infrastructure and to distinguish potential chemical markers which can be used for identification of pollution. Moreover, we evaluated the applicability of plants overgrowing railway infrastructure as bioindicators of rail-associated pollution. Though we confirmed that high amounts of PAHs and heavy metals in soil are characteristic for intensively used railway infrastructure, we found no typical pollution profiles for the differently used areas (i.e. platforms, sidings, cleaning bays). The major source of these contaminants is petroleum products used in conservation of railway infrastructure and rolling stock. As far as the use of plants overgrowing railway infrastructure as bioindicators of rail-associated pollution is concerned, it is rather limited, due to frequent application of herbicides for security and track stability reasons.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the administration of the Polish State Railways for enabling us the performance of field studies. We are grateful to M.Sc. Beata Wójcik and Iwona Ładziak, for the help in laboratory work.

The study was carried out at the Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, established within the project co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund under the Operational Program Innovative Economy, 2007–2013.

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Higher Education and Science (Grant No N N305 052440).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Biology and Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland

    Monika Mętrak, Monika Chmielewska, Barbara Sudnik-Wójcikowska & Małgorzata Suska-Malawska

  2. Department of Environmental Protection and Modeling, The Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce, Świętokrzyska 15, 25-406, Kielce, Poland

    Bogusław Wiłkomirski

  3. Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas, Kossutha 6, 40-844, Katowice, Poland

    Tomasz Staszewski

Authors
  1. Monika Mętrak
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  2. Monika Chmielewska
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  3. Barbara Sudnik-Wójcikowska
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  4. Bogusław Wiłkomirski
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  5. Tomasz Staszewski
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  6. Małgorzata Suska-Malawska
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Correspondence to Małgorzata Suska-Malawska.

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Mętrak, M., Chmielewska, M., Sudnik-Wójcikowska, B. et al. Does the Function of Railway Infrastructure Determine Qualitative and Quantitative Composition of Contaminants (PAHs, Heavy Metals) in Soil and Plant Biomass?. Water Air Soil Pollut 226, 253 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2516-1

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