## 3 Results and Discussion
### Pollutant Contents in Soils
These results can be due to the extreme heterogeneity of the soil properties at the sampling areas and the diversity of PAH sources. For instance, the highest pH levels (varying between 6.1 and 6.8) were identified at the Mine Pavel location, characterized by the highest PAH content. In contrast, significantly lower PAH contents were identified in the soil at the location Nova Voda, characterized by the lowest pH (varying between 3.5 and 3.8). Therefore, the data do not allow us to find a clear link between soil pH and the potential PAH decomposition rate. Similarly, [PERSON] and [PERSON] [48] did not identify any relationships between forest soil PAH contents and pH. On the other hand, the soil PAH contents positively correlated (\(\rho=0.684\), \(p<0.05\)) with the CEC of the soils, as expected (Supplementary Table S3), and as recorded, for instance, by [PERSON] et al. [40]. However, similarly to the soil pH, the potential sorption/decomposition rate of the PAHs remains unknown because of the unknown initial pollution level at the \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l c c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline  & **N b** & **C b** & **C/N** & **Ratio** & **NO\({}_{3}\)\({}^{-}\)\({}^{c}\)** & **NH\({}_{4}\)\({}^{+}\)\({}^{c}\)** & **DOC \({}^{cd}\)** & **Ca e** & **K e** & **Mg e** & **P e** & **S*** & **CEC f** & **pH** \\ \hline  & **\%** & **\%** & & **mg/kg** & **mg/kg** & **mg/kg** & **mg/kg** & **mg/kg** & **mg/kg** & **mg/kg** & **mg/kg** & **mmol/kg** & \\ \hline Minimum & 0.31 & 4.03 & 12.2 & \(<\)0.05 & 4.1 & 13.0 & 1043 & 116 & 88.0 & 10.1 & 11.8 & 89.9 & 3.6 \\ Maximum & 1.39 & 24.5 & 21.4 & 47.7 & 141 & 318 & 5360 & 629 & 636 & 128 & 83.0 & 423 & 6.8 \\ Average & 0.60 & 9.09 & 14.9 & 7.93 & 17.4 & 66.7 & 2938 & 304 & 309 & 47.4 & 22.3 & 252 & 5.0 \\ Standard & 0.29 & 5.57 & 2.44 & 13.2 & 30.8 & 88.1 & 1088 & 129 & 167 & 32.5 & 15.7 & 83.2 & 1.0 \\ Median & 0.48 & 7.28 & 13.9 & 1.26 & 7.6 & 40.1 & 3014 & 307 & 268 & 34.2 & 20.4 & 246 & 4.9 \\ MAD a & 0.13 & 1.62 & 1.00 & 1.26 & 3.0 & 12.5 & 717 & 91.5 & 106 & 23.0 & 5.7 & 35.5 & 0.7 \\ \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Basic statistics of the available nutrient contents in the soils and main characteristics of these soils. individual sampling points. Among the other soil characteristics, no significant interrelationships were identified between soil PAH contents and the main soil nutrients and DOC (Supplementary Table S3). Again, this finding does not correspond to the observations of other authors [44; 45], who documented either positive or negative correlations between soil PAH contents and the main soil nutrients. For instance, increasing leaching of PAHs with increasing leaching of DOC was proven by [PERSON] et al. [49] in short-term polluted soils. However, different patterns of PAHs, including their potential bioaccessibility, can be expected in the case of aged pollution [50], as shown in this study. Although elevated contents of PAHs in soils were identified in most of the investigated areas and also in those described in our previous study [33], the elevated soil contents of PCDD/Fs and PCBs occurred only occasionally (Tables 2 and 3). Most of the measured data fell below the detection limit, especially in the case of PCDD/Fs (Table 2). Among the sampling sites, only low abundances of several congeners with TEQs slightly exceeding the preventive value set at 5 ng/kg for the sum of PCDD/Fs [39] were detected at the sampling areas Mine Pavel, Viewpoint, and Nova Voda. Among these congeners, the most toxic, 2,37,8-TCDD, was not detected at any sampling point. Moreover, the indicative TEQ value of 100 ng/kg, which can adversely affect human and animal health, was not exceeded. At least one of the soil PCB congeners identified (Table 3) was found in each sampling area. The highest contents were recorded for the congeners 118, 156, 170, and 180 at all the sampling areas. According to Public Notice No. 153/2016 [39], the preventive value