GEOSPATIAL MAPPING OF ECOLOGICAL RISK FROM POTENTIALLY TOXIC ELEMENTS IN SOIL IN THE PANNONIAN-CARPATHIAN BORDER AREA SOUTH OF THE DANUBE

This study collected agricultural surface soil samples from 200 sites in the district of Braničevo, located Carpathian Mountains – Pannonian Basin south Danube River (Serbia). The main objective was to determine contamination by ten potentially toxic elements (As, B, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Zn) and evaluate associated ecological risk via different indices. physicochemical parameters, pH, organic carbon, water content, texture were also analyzed. mean values most metal concentrations remained below their corresponding national target values, except for Mo Ni. types silt loam (40.5 %) silty clay (34.5 %). According pollution load index (PLI) potential (RI) demonstrated that area exposed moderate risk, while enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation (Igeo), (CF) revealed very high with implying impact anthropogenic activities. There a lack strong correlations among properties, Cd Corg, positive inter-metal relationships suggested common sources. chemometric analysis illustrated classification sampling into two distinct clusters spatial similarities according higher lower concentrations. Geospatial mapping identified few areas considerable risk.