Heavy metals contamination of irrigated soils around highways

The article provides information on the influence of the Tashkent-Termiz M-39 highway of the Republic of Uzbekistan on the amount of copper, zinc and lead in the irrigated meadow soils around the road. The total amount of copper, zinc and lead in the soil has increased due to the emissions of motor vehicles traveling on the highway. Heavy metal pollution has a maximum value at a distance of 20 m from the road. In the Tashkent-Termiz direction, lead in the soil on the left side of the road has a maximum value of 68.2 mg/kg at a distance of 25 m from the road; and the maximum value of copper and zinc was determined at a distance of 20 m from the road and they are 85.3, respectively; equal to 127.4 mg/kg. The total amount of copper, zinc and lead decreases with distance from the above mentioned distances. Heavy metals accumulate mainly in the upper layer rich in organic matter of the studied soils and decrease toward the lower layers according to a certain law.