THE ACCUMULATION OF LEAD IN AGRICULTURAL SOIL AND VEGETATION ALONG A HIGHWAY

The present paper evaluates lead contamination from automotive exhausts in the plants and soil of an agricultural area, considering: distance from the highway, ground characteristics and traffic volume. The results show that the Fiano-San Cesareo highway has modified Pb values in the soil within the few years that have passed since it was opened. Quercus pubescens Willd. leaves show in a less evident way the accumulation over time. Autumnal samples delineate the ploughing effect that lowers superficial soil Pb concentration. From Autumn to Summer Pb concentration increases. There are no big differences between samples on the two sides of the highway