Introducing a Method of Urban Soil Risk Evaluation – A Case Study on Urban Recreational Areas in Cluj Napoca

Abstract

Assessing risks related to urban soil contamination represents a key part of pollution management. The current research proposes a quantitative method that defines and highlights unacceptable risks. The applicability of the method is presented in a case study on several urban recreational areas from the city of Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Concentrations of As, Cu, Cd, Zn, Pb, Hg, Co, Ni and Mg were identified in a number of 48 soil samples from 12 intensively used recreational areas in Cluj-Napoca. The proposed risk assessment method is applied, and potential risks are calculated for all locations.