Potentially Toxic Elements (PTEs) in Cultivated Soils from Lombardy (Northern Italy): Spatial Distribution, Origin, and Management Implications

Minerals

Elisa Sacchi¹  Massimo Setti¹  Stefania Fornelli Genot¹  VannaMaria Sale²  Stefano Brenna²  Alessandra Leoni² 

[1] Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy;ERSAF, Regional Agency for Agriculture and Forests of Lombardy, 20124 Milano, Italy;

关键词: heavy metals;    agriculture;    vineyards;    rice fields;    cereals;    sewage sludge;   

DOI  :  10.3390/min10040298

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

This work aims to quantify the contribution of agricultural practices to diffuse pollution in cultivated soils. Two samples (the first from the top layer and the second from a depth of about 100 cm) were retrieved from about 1000 soil profiles and analyzed for their potentially toxic elements (PTEs) content (Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, Mn). In addition, we collected dedicated soil profiles for three specific types of land use and agronomic practice, namely vine-, cereal- and rice-growing areas. Baseline concentrations and distribution maps were produced. Statistical data treatment, coupled with the results of the dedicated soil profiles, enabled the identification of precise pollution sources and processes. In cultivated soils, PTEs contents prove to be generally well below the Italian regulatory limits, with the exception of Cu in vineyard soils, due to the long-lasting use of Cu-based pesticides. South of Milan and in other urban areas, we attribute the top soil enrichment in Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn to industrial activities and urban settlement. Ni sporadically exceeds regulatory standards, but its association with Mn and its depth distribution point to a natural origin, mostly due to the occurrence of serpentine. The project demonstrates that although agriculture, especially in the form of vineyards and of intensive cultivation, certainly contributes to pollution, such contribution is exceeded by that deriving from industry and road traffic.

【 授权许可】

Unknown