Publication detail

Environmental Impact Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils Near the Runway at the International Airport in Central Europe

Martin Brtnický Václav Pecina Tivadar Baltazár Michaela Vašinová Galiová Ludmila Baláková Agnieszka Be˛s´ Maja Radziemska

Original Title

Environmental Impact Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils Near the Runway at the International Airport in Central Europe

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

The environmental impacts of air transport and air transportation systems have become increasingly important and are heavily debated. The aim of the study was to determine the degree of soil contamination by the potentially toxic elements (Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the vicinity of the airport runway and to evaluate whether airport traffic has had factual toxic effects on airport vegetation. The overall assessment of soil contamination by means of the Nemerow integrated pollution index indicated slight pollution; evaluation by the geoaccumulation index evinced moderate contamination by Zn and nonexistent to moderate contamination by Cu, Ni, and Pb. A significant difference between the take-off and landing sections of the runway was not statistically confirmed. The vegetation risk assessment by means of the potential ecological risk index (RI) showed the low ecological risk, while the phytotoxicity test revealed an inhibition of up to 33.7%, with a slight inhibition of 16.7% on average, and thus low toxic effects of airport traffic on airport vegetation. The results of the linear regression model between phytotoxicity and RI manifested no relation between the two. The outcomes from other studies suggest that the range of elements and the extent of contamination can be highly variable at different airports and frequently affected by car traffic. Therefore, further research on this issue is needed for the more precise determination of the elements emitted by air traffic at airports.

Keywords

air transport; soil contamination; ecological risk assessment; eco-toxicology study; phytotoxicity

Authors

Martin Brtnický; Václav Pecina; Tivadar Baltazár; Michaela Vašinová Galiová; Ludmila Baláková; Agnieszka Be˛s´; Maja Radziemska

Released

3. 9. 2020

Publisher

MDPI

Location

BASEL

ISBN

2071-1050

Periodical

Sustainability

Year of study

12

Number

7224

State

Swiss Confederation

Pages from

1

Pages to

14

Pages count

14

URL

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/17/7224

BibTex

@article{BUT165800,
  author="Martin Brtnický and Václav Pecina and Tivadar Baltazár and Michaela Vašinová Galiová and Ludmila Baláková and Agnieszka Be˛s´ and Maja Radziemska",
  title="Environmental Impact Assessment of Potentially Toxic Elements in Soils Near the Runway at the International Airport in Central Europe",
  journal="Sustainability",
  year="2020",
  volume="12",
  number="7224",
  pages="1--14",
  doi="10.3390/su12177224",
  issn="2071-1050",
  url="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/17/7224"
}