o:6664 Pollution indices of soil contaminated by heavy metals (Ni, Cr, and Co) in the municipality of Bor en Abstract: Determining the origin, content, and dynamics of potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soil is crucial for assessing pollution levels and their long-term environmental impact, especially in regions like the Municipality of Bor, where mining activities contribute to contamination. This study focuses on the Municipality of Bor, where surface soil samples (0–30 cm) were collected from agricultural land. The dominant soil types include vertisol, dystric cambisol, eutric cambisol, and calcomelanosol. Analysis revealed that concentrations of Ni, Cr, and Co are below the maximum allowable concentrations (MAC). Geochemical limits for Ni (29.20 mg kg⁻¹), Cr (33.63 mg kg⁻¹), and Co (21.50 mg kg⁻¹) were calculated using the Median + 2 MAD method, showing lower values compared to the natural background of eastern Serbia. Humus content positively influences the concentrations of Ni and Co. The correlation of Ni with Cr and Co suggests a potentially common, primarily geochemical origin of these elements. This is further supported by the calculation of the ecological risk index and the pollution index. The established geochemical limits and index calculations provide a foundation for identifying potential risk zones, supporting effective environmental management in the Municipality of Bor. Ecological risk, geochemical limits, heavy metals, monitoring, Municipality of Bor, soil pollution. 2024-12-18T08:47:10.827Z 44 no 46 Sonja Tošić Jojević Institute of Soil Science 0000-0002-3865-6529 46 Vesna Mrvić Institute of Soil Science 0000-0002-6666-0875 46 Darko Jaramaz Institute of Soil Science 0000-0003-1715-1748 46 Tara Grujić Institute of Soil Science 0000-0002-0122-6402 46 Vojisav Lazović Institute of Soil Science 0000-0003-3926-118X application/pdf 5470766 https://unilib.phaidrabg.rs/o:6664 no yes 1 70 92000004 71A05 International Soil Science Symposium on Soil Science & Plant Nutrition (10th International Scientific Meeting); 13 – 14 December 2024 Samsun, Türkiye 30 30 2024