Summary:

The aim of the article was to determine the content of heavy metals (lead) in soils and plants in areas heavily degraded by mining and processing industries. The study was con-ducted in the area of the municipality of Trzebinia, in the western part of the Małopolska province. Altogether 83 research areas were designated (one area of 25 m2) from which the plant material and soil samples were taken from the levels of 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm. The analysis of soil material was based on the determination of granulometric composition of the soil with the use of the Casagrande method modified by Prószyński [according to the industry standard (BN-78/9180-11), soil reaction in 1M KCl and in water with the use of the potenti-ometric method, electrolytic conductivity of the soil with the use of the conductometric meth-od, content of organic matter in soil by its annealing using the modified Tiurin method, the total Pb content in the soil using the FAA method. The analysis of plant material was based on the determination of the total content of Pb in plants using the atomic absorption spec-trometry. It was found that the mean lead content in the soil for the municipality exceeded the permissible concentrations, stated in national regulations (Journal of Laws 2002), of this el-ement for farmlands. The research conducted on fallows of Trzebinia indicated a positive di-rection of the relationship between the lead content in the soil layer of 0-20cm and the con-tent of the metal in plants present there. The results of the lead content in the plant material did not exceed the permissible content of the element in animal feed proposed by IUNG (Kabata-Pendias et al. 1993