The pseudototal concentrations of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), mercury (Hg) and zinc (Zn) were determined in the topsoil samples collected at Gyöngyösoroszi (North Hungary) and outskirts of the town. The main aim of this study is to summarize the geochemical features of the area and to evaluate the human health risk for the residents in the town based on the pseudototal concentration values in soil. The results indicate variable pollution of the topsoil and determined two area types with the most hazardous heavy metal contamination. According to the high concentration values measured in the sediment of creeks, the lead and zinc contents are the most striking, whereas the real hazard is caused by the high arsenic concentration. Mercury values exceed the threshold level only at a few sites due to the geochemical features independent from the mining.