Contribution of technic materials to the mobile fraction of metals in urban soils in Marrakech (Morocco) |
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| Authors: | Hicham El Khalil Christophe Schwartz Ouafae Elhamiani Jochen Kubiniok Jean Louis Morel Ali Boularbah |
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| Institution: | 1.Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, “Laboratoire Aliments, Environnement et Santé”,Université Cadi Ayyad,Marrakech,Morocco;2.Laboratoire Sols et Environnement,INPL(ENSAIA) /INRA, UMR 1120,Vand?uvre-lès-Nancy Cedex,France;3.Physische Geographie und Umweltforschung,Universit?t des Saarlandes,Saarbrücken,Germany |
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| Abstract: | Background, Aim and Scope In urban areas, soils are often dramatically altered by anthropogenic activity and these modifications distinguish these soils
(Anthrosols, Technosols) from those in natural systems. In urban environments, they receive considerable pollution from industry,
traffic and refuse. Since contaminated soil particles can be easily inhaled or ingested, there is a potential transfer of
toxic pollutants to humans. Risk assessment is essentially based on the determination of the total or mobile contents of pollutants
in soils using chemical extractions. This approach could be improved by taking into consideration the bioavailable fractions
of these toxic elements as measured by biotests. The coarse soil fraction usually neglected in analyses can nevertheless have
an effect on the concentration of metals in the soil solution. This coarse fraction is made up of the natural materials and
of technic materials constituting anthropogenic soils (plastic, paper, fabric, wood, bones, metallic elements and building
materials). These materials have variable capacities to release or adsorb trace elements. Samples representative of different
technic fraction components of Marrakech urban soils permit one to quantify their contribution to the enrichment of the soluble
metal concentrations. Works are carried out to achieve partial extractions of metals from the three fractions (less than 2
mm, coarse natural and coarse technic) of selected urban soils in order to determine their contribution to the metal contamination
of soils.
Materials and Methods Selected soils were collected from 9 sites according to a gradient of increasing anthropogenic influence from suburban to
urban zones. Soils were air-dried, homogenized, and sieved (2 mm). The coarse fraction was sorted to separate the different
technic materials and natural materials. Water extractions were run, on the natural, coarse fraction, on the complete technic
fraction of the 9 soils and on average samples made of technic materials sorted out of 58 topsoils sampled from different
sites in the city of Marrakech.
Results Results show that the percentage of the technic fraction increases while approaching the historic city center. It represented
about 14% in the most anthropogenically disturbed soils. Along this gradient, soils changed progressively from Anthrosols
to Technosols according to the WRB classification of urban and industrial soils. Analyses of metal contents showed that the
fine fraction (<2 mm) mainly contributed to the metallic contamination of the water soluble fraction. The natural coarse fraction
had the highest contribution to the copper release and was responsible for the release of all water-extractable copper in
some soils. Concerning the technic fraction, it has a significant contribution essentially in the most anthropogenically disturbed
soils as characterized by an elevated percentage of anthropogenic elements. The water extractable metal contents of average
samples of these anthropogenic elements shows that elevated metal concentrations were released by bones, wood, plastic and
fabric/paper.
Discussion This study concerns soils in urban areas, which are strongly impacted by human activities. Part of the soils can be classified
as Anthrosols, profoundly impacted through the addition of organic materials from household wastes, irrigation, or cultivation.
Other soils strongly impacted by human activities are Technosols dominated or strongly influenced by man-made materials. Technosols
appear mostly in urban and industrial areas and are more likely to be contaminated than Anthrosols. The composition and heterogeneity
of urban soils lead to modifications of the mobility and availability of pollutants depending on successive land-uses and
on the composition of technic materials. The fine fraction offers a high transferring surface capacity, leading to a high
mobilization of metals. The technic fraction contributes significantly to the metal release in the Technosols. This property
can be explained by a reversible adsorption of metals on the organic matter.
Conclusions Results confirm that anthropogenic activity causes a wide spatial diversity of soil quality in the urban and suburban area.
It introduces large amounts of technic materials in soils that could have an impact on the metal availability. It therefore
acts on the metal bioavailability in the urban Technosols.
Recommendations and Perspectives These results show that it is necessary, in addition to the characterization of the fine particles, to take into account the
contribution of the coarse fraction of the Technosols in the evaluation of risks of transfer of metals to the food chain. |
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| Keywords: | Anthropogenic activity Anthrosols availability heavy metals technic fraction Technosols urban and suburban soils |
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