Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban soil of Novi Sad, Serbia: occurrence and cancer risk assessment.

Contents of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons were analyzed in 30 soil samples from 15 locations in Novi Sad, Serbia, assessing for the first time the corresponding health risks in the Serbian urban zone. Total concentrations were in the range of 22-2247 μg kg, with a mean and median value of 363 and 200 μg kg, respectively. Comparison with the relevant maximum allowed contents proposed by the Serbian government and with the Dutch target values implied that soils from the urban area of Novi Sad were "suitable as residential soils" and that no intervention would be needed if the current levels were retained.