Common dandelion Taraxacum officinale agg. (T. officinale F.H. Wigg) is a plant species commonly found on urban areas. It is characterised by low habitat requirements and proven bioindication properties. The aim of this study was to assess the possibility of using T. officinale agg. for monitoring of the urban soils in the City of Kielce with regard to selected heavy metal concentrations, i.e. Pb, Cu and Zn. Twenty-one soil and dandelion samples (roots and leaves) were collected from the area of Kielce. The study areas were designated with regard to land-use types, i.e. industrial areas, urban parks and forests, urban green areas, and urban allotment gardens. The total heavy metal concentrations were determined in the soil and plant material by the ICP-AES (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy) method, after mineralisation of the samples in a mixture of HCl-HNO3 (3:1). Moreover, the soil samples were analysed in terms of pH values. The concentrations of heavy metals in the analysed soils were oscillating at: 16.5-290 mg/kg d.m. for Pb; 7.11-41 mg/kg d.m. for Cu; 55.7-338 mg/kg d.m. for Zn In the case of dandelion leaves, the concentration range was recorded at: 1.07-3.11 mg/kg d.m. for Pb; 3.11-14.1 mg/kg d.m. for ...
