Cadmium And Lead Content In The Barrier Dusts Sampled From The Noise Barriers Located Near To PoznaŃ (Poland) – A Preliminary Study

High levels of heavy metals in the environment are dangerous for humans due to possible bioaccumulation of such contaminants by edible plants and herbivores. In this study, total content of cadmium and lead in the barrier dusts sampled from three noise barriers located along E261 expressway in Poland (near Poznań) was determined using flow-injection differential-pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (FIA DP-ASV). The results indicate that total content of the studied metals ranged from 0.09 to 0.6 mg kg^-1 (in relation to cadmium) and from 11.873 to 38.193 mg kg^-1 (in relation to lead) and depended on the structure of the barriers (i.e. their length) and height of the sampling point. The highest metal contents were detected in samples originated from lower sections (0.0-0.5 m) of the longest noise barrier (1700 m). The results indicate the need for a continuous monitoring of heavy metal contents in the barrier dusts and surrounding agricultural soils.