Metal bioavailability is a key factor in risk assessment procedures for contaminated sites. The goal of our study was to evaluate metal bioavailability and toxicity in long-term contaminated soils in the Tarnowskie Gory area of the Silesia region of Poland. Forty diverse soils were collected throughout the study area. Metal availability was measured using neutral salt extractions, a sequential extraction and an in vitro test for Pb bioaccessibility. Effects of soil contamination on microbial activity and wheat growth were examined in a pot study. The study demonstrated relatively low availability of metals in long-term contaminated soils. In the sequential extractions zinc and lead were mainly present as poorly available fractions defined as associated with iron and manganese oxides or the residual fraction. Cadmium was mainly present in the exchangeable fraction but also occurred in the immobile fractions. Extractable metals and their contents in wheat were mostly dependent on soil pH and were not correlated to their total soil concentrations. Percentage Pb bioaccessibility was the lowest in the most contaminated soils. Long-term contamination of the soils by metals did not reduce microbial activity.
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