Protecting children’s health against environmental exposure to heavy metals – theory versus practice

Abstract The high level of heavy metals is one of the main indicators of soil contamination, which is a significant risk to ecological and health safety. Lack of regulations requiring the examination of the level of contamination in the areas where recreational facilities for children are located directly translate into the lack of preventive or corrective actions and leads to the persistence of a permanent threat connected with a high level of heavy metals concentration in soils. The aim of the study was to identify significant sources of exposure of children to heavy metals depending on the location of recreational areas (sports fields). The results show a high concentration of cadmium, lead and zinc in the analysed soils. Of all samples, more than 70% of them have values exceeding the limit values of cadmium in soils. In the case of lead and zinc, the normative values were exceeded, respectively, in 44% and 64% of soil samples. Practical solutions introduced in the framework of regulations related to environmental protection do not correlate in practice with an extensive obligation to protect the health of children and adolescents, whose performance is clearly focused on medical problems, disregarding the risk resulting from environmental factors.