Introduction

Abstract

Many factors can cause soil contamination in urban and rural environments. Large-scale soil contamination can be the result of naturally accelerated bedrock concentrations or dust deposition. Linear contamination can be found alongside traffic routes and infrastructure pipes or in floodplains. In rural areas, fertilising, sewage sludge application and the use of pesticides are typical reasons for contaminated sites. Particularly in urban areas, however, the main factor responsible for contaminated sites might be the presence of many derelict sites which were formerly used for industrial purposes, in addition to deposits such as mining heaps, dumps and filled natural depressions or quarries (Meuser, Contaminated urban soils. Springer, Dordrecht, 2010).