Heavy Metal Pollution in the Boatin Reserve (Bulgaria).

Background concentrations of the heavy metals Mn, Ni, Cd, Co, Zn, Cu, and Pb in the soils and plant monitors of the Boatin Reserve were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). Surface soil layers of the Boatin Reserve were polluted with Cu, as its concentration exceeded both the national legal standards and the content of Cu in nonpolluted areas. Analysis of heavy metals accumulation in all studied plant monitors indicated that the content of Cu, Pb, and Zn exceeded their concentration in non-polluted areas. It may be concluded that the heavy metals Cu, Pb, and Zn are the main pollutants in the Boatin Reserve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]