Integrated Approach for Quality Assessment of Technosols in Experimental Mesocosms

Sustainability

Erika Di Iorio¹  Pasquale Napoletano¹  Claudio Colombo¹  Anna Gabriella Ruggiero²  Valeria Memoli²  Lucia Santorufo²  Giulia Maisto²  Speranza Claudia Panico²  Anna De Marco³ 

[1] Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy;Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy;Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy;

关键词: urban soil;    volcanic materials;    soil functionality;    microbial biomass;    soil nutrients;    heavy metals content;   

DOI  :  10.3390/su13169101

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

The assessment of Technosols quality in urban environments is pivotal for the maintenance of ecosystems impacted by human activities. The study was performed on Technosols constructed in experimental mesocosms in the suburban area of Naples (Southern Italy) to highlight changes in the main soil properties over eight years and to identify the most suitable indices at quality monitoring. In this study, several chemical, biological, and integrated indices were analysed to evaluate the mineral accumulation, potential ecological risk, edaphon activity, fertility, and the overall soil quality. The Technosols showed alkaline pH, nitrogen ranged from 24.5 to 39.5 g kg⁻¹, high organic matter contents above 40 g kg⁻¹, and there were no evident processes of soil compaction. Heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) did not exceed the thresholds defined by the Italian law for urban soils, despite their volcanic components. During eight years, the chemical indices depicted changes in the elements balance and increase in ecological risk; the biological indices indicated a reduction in the fungal fraction (fivefold) and in the resources utilisation and carbon storage. The soil quality index with all parameters highlighted the reduction in the soil quality (from 0.78 to 0.65) due to the decrease of the chemical quality, the increase of microbial stress conditions, and changes of the microbial composition, underlining the importance of integrating chemical and biological information for monitoring Technosols.

【 授权许可】

Unknown