Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Wetland Soils in an Urbanized Territory

Wetlands are often called “nature’s kidneys” due to their ability to filter, metabolize, and reduce pollutant levels, which is especially important in urban areas due to multifactorial anthropogenic impact. The levels of content and accumulation factors of Cu, Zn, Pb, and Cd in soils and macrophytes of the Mackay Wetland located in North Vancouver (Canada) are studied. It is shown that, among many factors affecting the content of HMs in wetland soils, the determining factor is the amount of autochthonous organic matter present in the soils and formed based on plant litter. The composition of the soils, the conditions of sorting the soil-forming material, and the accumulation of HMs have pronounced heterogeneity. The granulometric composition of mineral particles of the soils does not have a significant effect on the accumulation of HMs.