Agrochemical treatments as a source of heavy metals and rare earth elements in agricultural soils and bioaccumulation in ground beetles

Abstract

The continuous and extensive application of agrochemicals leads to the accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) and rare earth elements (REEs) in agricultural soils and their transfer in the food web with consequent relevant risks for human and ecosystem health. In this study, HM and REE concentrations were quantified in the soil of wheat crop fields conventionally managed in the agricultural areas of Sila Mountain (Southern Italy) and compared with the concentration in a field of wild herbs, used as control. Statistical analyses and principal component analysis suggested that the use of pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers contributes to the accumulation of HMs and REEs in the soil. Different accumulation patterns were recorded in treated fields as a consequence of the type and amount of agrochemical used and the crop rotation. The exposure risk associated with the transfer through the tropic levels of agroecosystem was carried out measuring the concentration of HMs and REEs in adults of Harpalus (Pseudoophonus) rufipes (De Geer, 1774) collected from each monitored site. Different accumulation patterns found in specimens from the monitored sites highlighted the ability of this generalist predator to regulate metal uptake under field conditions. The values of bioaccumulation factor (BAF) allow to defining the order of accumulation in P. rufipes which was classified as a macroconcentrator of Cd, Cu, Mg and Zn. Our results can supplement the limited information regarding the REE accumulation in soil invertebrates and may provide reference data for assessing potential environmental risks in croplands.