Heavy metals in soils of Argentina: a comparison between urban and agricultural soils
1998
Lavado, R.S. | Rodriguez, M.B. | Scheiner, J.D. | Taboada, M.A. | Rubio, G. | Alvarez, R. | Alconada, M. | Zubillaga, M.S.
Trace metals, including heavy metals, can be harmful to the biota and human beings. This leads to study the accumulation of those elements in soils. In the Pampean region (Argentina) this knowledge is scarce. Our objectives were to (i) determine the trace metal concentration in soils of Buenos Aires City and agricultural areas, (ii) start to establish the soil trace metals baseline concentration, and (iii) find relationships between soil properties and those elements. Topsoil samples were taken in Buenos Aires City and on farms along an arc 50 to 250 km away from the metropolis. All studied soils were Mollisols. Soil samples were analyzed for their cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), cobalt (Co), lead (Pb), and nickel (Ni) contents by acid extraction. Soil properties were determined using standard methods. The soils of Buenos Aires City show the highest average concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn. The further the sampling sites were from Buenos Aires, the lower the metal concentration in the soils. Conversely, there were no differences in Co, Cr, and Ni concentrations from urban to the rural soils. There was a high variability in metal concentrations. We hypothetized that cars are the main source of contamination of Pb and Cd in the urban soils. The measured metals concentrations from rural areas, can be a basis from which to establish the background levels of those soils. Clay content was related to the concentrations of Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn in soils.
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