Heavy metal concentrations in floodplain soils of the Innerste River and in leaves of wild blackberries (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) growing within and outside the floodplain: the legacy of historical mining activities in the Harz Mountains (Germany)

We studied heavy metal levels in floodplain soils of the Innerste River in northern Germany and in the leaves of wild blackberries (Rubus fruticosus L. agg.) growing within and in adjacent areas outside the river floodplain. Heavy metal contamination of the Innerste floodplain is a legacy of historical metal ore mining, processing, and smelting in the Harz Mountains. The heavy metal (Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Cr) contents of previously studied soil samples from eleven floodplain sites along the Innerste River were re-analyzed statistically, and the levels of these metals in blackberry leaves were determined at five sites. Mean concentrations in the floodplain soils were elevated by factors of 4.59 to 28.5 for Cd, 13.03 to 158.21 for Pb, 5.66 to 45.83 for Zn, and 1.1–14.81 for Cu relative to the precautionary limits for soils stipulated by the German Federal Soil Protection and Contaminated Sites Ordinance. Cadmium, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Ni levels in floodplain soils decreased markedly downstream, as did the concentrations of Cd, Zn, and Ni in the leaves of blackberries from within the floodplain. Levels of Cd, Pb, and Zn in leaves of blackberries from within the floodplain significantly exceeded those of specimens from outside the floodplain. The findings of our study highlight the potential of wild blackberry as a biomonitor of soil pollution by Cd, Pb, and Zn and corroborate the massive heavy metal contamination of floodplain soils along the Innerste River observed in previous studies.