Title: Heavy metal contents in the most productive Argentinean Humid Pampa soils

Authors: Claudio Bilos; Leandro Martin Tatone; Carlos Norberto Skorupka; Malena Julia Astoviza; Camila Lucia Romero; Juan Carlos Colombo

Addresses: Laboratorio de Química Ambiental y Biogeoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Av. Calchaquí km 23,5, (1888) Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina ' Laboratorio de Química Ambiental y Biogeoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Av. Calchaquí km 23,5, (1888) Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Av. Rivadavia 1917, (C1033AA) CABA, Argentina ' Laboratorio de Química Ambiental y Biogeoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Av. Calchaquí km 23,5, (1888) Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina ' Laboratorio de Química Ambiental y Biogeoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Av. Calchaquí km 23,5, (1888) Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina ' Laboratorio de Química Ambiental y Biogeoquímica, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Av. Calchaquí km 23,5, (1888) Florencio Varela, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT), Godoy Cruz 2370, (C1425FQD) CABA, Argentina ' Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas (CIC), Calle 10 y 526, (1900) La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Abstract: Argentinean Humid Pampa topsoil samples from sites with different land use patterns were analysed. Texture was dominated by fines (silt+clay > 50%) with high total organic carbon content (2.8 ± 1.8%), particularly in finer soils (3.7-9.9% to 0.99% in sandy soils). Carbon:nitrogen relationship was relatively homogeneous (13.9 ± 3.6%) pointing to a dominant contribution of terrestrial plant detritus. Heavy metal concentrations were low (Fe: 1.77 ± 0.50%; Mn: 446 ± 171; Zn: 48.4 ± 19.5; Cu: 17.6 ± 6.0; Pb: 10.0 ± 4.8; Cr: 7.2 ± 1.8; Ni: 6.1 ± 1.7; Cd: 0.05 ± 0.03 µg g^-1) and spatially homogeneous (<50%) with more variability for Cd (±58%); the exception was an industrial site with atypically high values for Zn (111 µg g^-1) and Cr (11.9 µg g^-1). Heavy metal levels were lower than the Soil Environmental Quality Guidelines for Agriculture land use established in international legislation. Mn-Cu-Pb-Ni-Cd-Cr exhibited positive correlations with soil fine contents (R²_Mn = 0.76; R²_Cu = 0.73; R²_Pb = 0.73; R²_Ni = 0.56; R²_Cd = 0.45; R²_Cr = 0.38; p > 0.05). Heavy metal enrichment factors were low (0.07-2.28) indicating a natural origin.

Keywords: soil; heavy metals; C:N relationship; texture composition; Argentinean Humid Pampa.

DOI: 10.1504/IJENVH.2019.100595

International Journal of Environment and Health, 2019 Vol.9 No.3, pp.271 - 287

Received: 21 Feb 2019
Accepted: 17 Apr 2019
Published online: 04 Jul 2019 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article