The concentration of trace elements in soils around the Glogów copper smelter has been continuously observed since opening the smelter in 1972. Permanent sampling sites are located at various directions and distances from the emission source. Soils are sampled every year in June, at a depth of 0–20 cm, in four replicates. Results from different sites are comparable only to a limited extent, as the smelter is situated on the boundary between a river valley and loess hills covered with soils varying both in texture and basic chemical properties. The total concentration of copper was determined after digesting a soil sample with aqua regia or concentrated perchloric acid. Analysis of a 34-year-long cycle revealed a significant initial increase in copper content, followed by its relative levelling out and a slow but continuous decrease typically observed in arable soils. By contrast, in soils afforested with poplars within the so-called “sanitary zone”, a significant secondary rise in copper concentration was observed. Results of the longterm monitoring programme confirm a remarkable reduction in heavy metal emission from the smelter, the “phytoremediation” effect due to common cultivation of arable plants, as well as a secondary concentration of heavy metals captured from the air by fast-growing trees planted in the immediate vicinity of the smelter.

Keywords: copper, soil monitoring, copper smelter, land use