RESUMEN
The typically high heterogeneity of urban soil properties challenges their characterization and interpretation. The objective of this study was to investigate if proximally sensed volume-specific magnetic susceptibility and/or geochemical soil properties can uncover differences in anthropogenic, lithogenic and pedological contributions in, and between, urban soils. We also tested if volume-specific magnetic susceptibility can predict heavy metal enrichment. Data on 29 soil properties of 103 soil horizons from 16 soils from Ghent, Belgium, were analyzed by factor analysis. A correlation analysis, and in-depth analysis of five contrasting urban soils supplemented insights gained from the factor analysis. The factor analysis extracted four factors: 29.2 % of the soil property variability was attributed to fossil fuel combustion and industrial processes, with high (>0.80) loadings for S, organic carbon, magnetic susceptibility, and Zn. Furthermore, 26.0 % of the variability was linked to parent material differences, with high loadings (>0.80) for K, Rb and Ti. In absence of geogenic carbonates, increased soil alkalinity due to anthropogenic input of CaCO3 explained 17.0 % of the variability. Lastly, 4.7 % of the variability resulted from variable Zr contents by local geology. Elemental analysis by XRF, possibly combined with magnetic susceptibility measurements, helped to explain lateral or vertical differences related to (1) the nature of anthropogenic influence, for instance burning (e.g., by the S and Zn content) or the incorporation of building rubble (e.g., by the Ca content); (2) the particle size distribution (e.g., by the K, Rb or Ti content); (3) lithology (e.g., by the Zr content); or (4) pedology, such as organic matter build-up (e.g., by the S content) or leaching of alkalis (e.g., by the Ca content). Even though artifacts and soil translocation were common in the studied soils, volume-specific soil magnetic susceptibility measured on fine earth predicted the total heavy metal pollution loading index well (Pearson correlation = 0.85).
Asunto(s)
Metales Pesados , Contaminantes del Suelo , Carbono/análisis , Carbonatos/análisis , Monitoreo del Ambiente/métodos , Combustibles Fósiles , Fenómenos Magnéticos , Metales Pesados/análisis , Suelo/química , Contaminantes del Suelo/análisisRESUMEN
Spatial analysis of heavy metals (HMs) is an important step toward developing predictive models of urban HM contamination. This study assessed the spatial distribution of the enrichment of eight HMs (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in the city of Ghent, Belgium. A database with soil HM concentrations measured at 2194 point observations was collected from the Public Waste Agency of Flanders. The degree of anthropogenic HM enrichment was quantified using an urban pollution index (PI). Enrichment of HMs showed high variations throughout the study area. Observed concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, and Hg did not exceed expected background values for the majority of the sampling locations (PI ≤ 1 for 76% [As], 64% [Cd], 50% [Cr], and 74% [Hg] of sampling points). Accordingly, predicted PI values of these HMs in Ghent were on average <2. On the other hand, observed median PIs for Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn surpassed expected background values (PI >1) in 66, 76, 68, and 66% of the cases. The predicted PI means for the entire study area were 3.46 (Cu), 2.06 (Ni), 3.26 (Pb), and 3.28 (Zn). Comparison between various land use types and times since development indicated that HM enrichment was generally highest in urban land uses built up before 1933. Results, however, suggested that spatial patterns of HM contamination are difficult to predict in cities with a long history of industrialization without knowledge on the spatial distribution of (potentially) contaminating historical industrial activities.