Elsevier

Pedosphere

Volume 23, Issue 2, April 2013, Pages 143-159
Pedosphere

Contamination, Fractionation and Availability of Metals in Urban Soils in the Vicinity of Former Lead and Zinc Smelters, France

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1002-0160(13)60002-8Get rights and content

Abstract

Soil contamination by metals from anthropogenic activities (e.g., mining and smelting) is a major concern for the environment and human health. Environmental availability of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and indium (In) in 27 urban soils located around two former Pb and Zn smelters in Northern France were studied by analysing the chemical forms of these metals and evaluating their phytoavailability. These metals were determined using flame or electrothermal absorption atomic spectrometry (FAAS or ETAAS), depending on their concentration levels. After optimisation of the ETAAS method, characteristic mass of In in water and aqua regia were 9.9 and 18 pg, respectively, showing the high sensitivity of the analytical procedure. Metal partitioning was conducted using a four-step sequential extraction procedure. The results showed that Cd and Zn were mainly in the acid-extractable and reducible forms in the urban soils studied. In contrast, Pb and In were largely in the reducible fraction. However, in some samples, the amount of In extracted in the residual or exchangeable fraction was higher than that in the reducible fraction. Copper was mainly found in the reducible and residual fractions. A pot experiment was conducted in a glasshouse with seven soils (six contaminated and one uncontaminated) and two plant species, ryegrass and lettuce. The results showed transfer of metals from the contaminated soils to the shoots of ryegrass and the edible part of lettuce. The metal bioconcentration factor was in the order of Cd ≫ Cu > In > Zn ≫ Pb for lettuce leaves, whereas for ryegrass shoots, three orders were found, Cd > Zn > Cu ≫ In > Pb, Cd ≥ In > Zn > Cu ≫ Pb, and Zn > Cd > Cu > In > Pb, depending on the physico-chemical properties of the soils, such as pH, cation exchange capacity, carbonates, and organic matter. It was established that the metal toxicity was related to the contamination levels and the physico-chemical properties, including pH, organic matter, and in a lesser extent, Ca, Mg, and phosphorus contents, of the soils. However, it was shown that lettuce could grow on soils having high Cd and CaCO3 contents. Cadmium was one of the most available metals while Pb was always the least available in the soils studied.

References (110)

  • Z.M. Gusiatin et al.

    Metal (Cu, Cd and Zn) removal and stabilization during multiple soil washing by saponin

    Chemosphere.

    (2012)
  • C. Gleyzes et al.

    Fractionation studies of trace elements in contaminated soils and sediments: a review of sequential extraction procedures

    TrAC Trend. Anal. Chem.

    (2002)
  • A. Guevara-Riba et al.

    Assessment of metal mobility in dredged harbour sediments from Barcelona, Spain

    Sci. Total. Environ.

    (2004)
  • N.T.H. Ha et al.

    Accumulation of indium and other heavy metals by Eleocharis acicularis: An option for phytoremediation and phytomining

    Bioresource Technol.

    (2011)
  • N.T.H. Ha et al.

    Uptake of metals and metalloids by plants growing in a lead-zinc mine area, Northern Vietnam

    J. Hazard. Mater.

    (2011)
  • M.Y. Kamogawa et al.

    A new strategy for preparation of hair slurries using cryogenic grinding and water-soluble tertiary-amines medium

    Spectrochim. Acta B.

    (2001)
  • N.D. Kim et al.

    The concentrations, distribution and sources of cadmium, copper, lead and zinc in the atmosphere of an urban environment

    Sci. Total Environ.

    (1994)
  • M.B. Kirkham

    Cadmium in plants on polluted soils: Effects of soil factors, hyperaccumulation, and amendments

    Geoderma.

    (2006)
  • D.E. Koeppe

    The uptake, distribution, and effect of cadmium and lead in plants

    Sci. Total Environ.

    (1977)
  • R. Lambert et al.

    Cadmium and zinc in soil solution extracts following the application of phosphate fertilizers

    Sci. Total Environ.

    (2007)
  • S.H. Lee et al.

    In situ stabilization of cadmium-, lead-, and zinc-contaminated soil using various amendments

    Chemosphere.

    (2009)
  • X.D. Li et al.

    Heavy metal contamination of urban soils and street dusts in Hong Kong

    Appl. Geochem.

    (2001)
  • X.S. Luo et al.

    Distribution, availability, and sources of trace metals in different particle size fractions of urban soils in Hong Kong: Implications for assessing the risk to human health

    Environ. Pollut.

    (2011)
  • J. Markus et al.

    A review of the contamination of soil with lead. II. Spatial distribution and risk assessment of soil lead

    Environ. Int.

    (2001)
  • U. Oppermann et al.

    Improved background compensation in atomic absorption spectrometry using the high speed self reversal method

    Spectrochim. Acta B.

    (2003)
  • F. Pagnanelli et al.

    Metal speciation and pH effect on Pb, Cu, Zn and Cd biosorption onto Sphaerotilus natans: Langmuir-type empirical model

    Water Res.

    (2003)
  • J.R. Peralta-Videa et al.

    The biochemistry of environmental heavy metal uptake by plants: implications for the food chain

    Int. J. Biochem. Cell Biol.

    (2009)
  • P. Planquart et al.

    Distribution, movement and plant availability of trace metals in soils amended with sewage sludge composts: application to low metal loadings

    Sci. Total Environ.

    (1999)
  • M. Pueyo et al.

    Use of the modified BCR three-step sequential extraction procedure for the study of trace element dynamics in contaminated soils

    Environ. Pollut.

    (2008)
  • L. Recatalá et al.

    Testing the validity of a Cd soil quality standard in representative Mediterranean agricultural soils under an accumulator crop

    Sci. Total Environ.

    (2010)
  • S. Sabreen et al.

    Trade-off between cadmium tolerance and relative growth rate in 10 grass species

    Environ. Exp. Bot.

    (2008)
  • S. Sauvé et al.

    Linking plant tissue concentrations and soil copper pools in urban contaminated soils

    Environ. Pollut.

    (1996)
  • M. Savio et al.

    Study of matrix effects and spectral interferences in the determination of lead in sediments, sludges and soils by SR-ETAAS using slurry sampling

    Talanta.

    (2010)
  • T. Sterckeman et al.

    Vertical distribution of Cd, Pb and Zn in soils near smelters in the North of France

    Environ. Pollut.

    (2000)
  • R.A. Sutherland

    BCR(r)-701: A review of 10-years of sequential extraction analyses

    Anal. Chim. Acta.

    (2010)
  • G. Tyler

    Ionic charge, radius, and potential control root/soil concentration ratios of fifty cationic elements in the organic horizon of a beech (Fagus Sylvatica) forest podzol

    Sci. Total Environ.

    (2004)
  • J.A.C. Verkleij et al.

    Dualities in plant tolerance to pollutants and their uptake and translocation to the upper plant parts

    Environ. Exp. Bot.

    (2009)
  • C. Waterlot et al.

    Effects of grinding and shaking on Cd, Pb and Zn distribution in anthropogenically impacted soils

    Talanta.

    (2012)
  • AFNOR, 1992. Soil Quality-Determination of Copper, Manganese and Zinc Contents-Extraction by Means of Ammonium Acetate...
  • AFNOR, 1994. Soil Quality-Pretreatment of Samples for Physico-Chemical Analyses. NF ISO 11464. Association Française de...
  • AFNOR

    General requirements for the Competence of Testing and Calibration Laboratories. NF ISO/IEC 17025

    (2005)
  • Z. Atafar et al.

    Effect of fertilizer application on soil heavy metal concentration

    Environ. Monit. Assess.

    (2010)
  • C.F. Baes et al.

    The Hydrolysis of Cations

    (1976)
  • G. Barancíkocá et al.

    Crop contamination by selected trace elements

    J. Soil. Sediment.

    (2004)
  • D.W. Barnum

    Hydrolysis of cations. Formation constants and standard free energies of formation of hydroxy complexes

    Inorg. Chem.

    (1983)
  • M.P. Benavides et al.

    Cadmium toxicity in plants

    Braz. J. Plant Physiol.

    (2005)
  • A. Boughriet et al.

    Environmental impacts of heavy metal discharges from a smelter in Deûle-canal sediments (Northern France): concentration levels and chemical fractionation

    Water Air Soil Pollut.

    (2007)
  • S.L. Brown et al.

    Relative uptake of cadmium by garden vegetables and fruits grown on long-term biosolid-amended soils

    Environ. Sci. Technol.

    (1996)
  • B.H. Cardelino et al.

    Theoretical study of indium compounds of interest for organometallic chemical vapour deposition

    J. Phys. Chem. A.

    (2001)
  • S. Chaberek et al.

    Stability of metal chelates. II. -hydroxyethyliminodiacetic acid

    J. Am. Chem. Soc.

    (1952)
  • Cited by (90)

    • Insight into the mechanism of indium toxicity in rice

      2022, Journal of Hazardous Materials
    View all citing articles on Scopus

    Supported by the Group ISA, France.

    View full text