Study on Application Method of Soil Heavy Metal(loid) Pollution Indices for Urban Park Soils in Busan

This study evaluated the contamination of heavy metals (HMs) in the soil of 153 urban parks in Busan using soil pollution indices such as the single pollution index (PI), geoaccumulation index (I<sub>geo</sub>), Nemerow pollution index (PI<sub>ne</sub>), and potential ecological risk index (RI). The average concentration of each HM was 0–269.7% of the natural background concentration and 0–34.9% of the soil pollution warning standard. The artificial pollution level of cadmium (Cd) was higher than that of other HMs. The high degree of pollution of Cd may be related to emissions from industrial facilities and transport vehicles. Although the concentration of HMs are lower than the soil pollution warning standard, there is a possibility that HMs will accumulate due to point sources, such as various industrial activities, and non-point sources, such as vehicle pollution and import of soil from unknown sources. The PI and RI were used to determine the soil pollution levels of the urban parks. This study provides a policy basis for the management and hazard prevention of park soil pollution.