Assessment of Copper and Heavy Metals in Family-Run Vineyard Soils and Wines of Campania Region, South Italy.

Valentina Roviello,Daniele Naviglio,Giovanni Dal Poggetto,Ugo Caruso

doi:10.3390/ijerph18168465

Valentina Roviello, Daniele Naviglio + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18168465

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Abstract

Copper-based phytosanitary treatments are widely employed in viticulture for combating the fungal diseases of European grape (Vitis vinifera L.). Herein we evaluated copper accumulation in the soil of a 50-year-old still productive vineyard in South Italy in comparison with samples taken from a ‘control’ area in which grapevines had never been cultivated, as well from an abandoned vineyard, now planted with cereals and forage crops, both close to the main area under investigation. Even though the heavy metal contents detected were not of concern for soils nor for wine, Cu accumulates in the soil in amounts significantly higher than the (grapevine free) control and remains at detectable concentrations also in abandoned vineyards where spraying activities had ceased about 20 years before this study. Despite the long Cu residence times in soil, the wine produced with grapes of the same vineyard showed Cu levels low enough to be safely used for human consumption, probably due to mechanisms of metal precipitation occurring during wine maturation, which are typically accompanied by sedimentation processes in artisanal production. However, this should not diminish the urgency of decreasing the copper usage as antifungal remedy in viticulture to prevent copper contamination of the agricultural soils.

Highlights

Vine growing and wine-making have been prominent in Europe, and in Italy, since antiquity [1]
Extensive use of copper-based products and fungicides in grapevine cultivation leads to copper accumulation in vineyards higher than soils where this culture was never grown
Even though our study revealed a very low copper content in homemade wine, the soil of a former vineyard still shows copper levels significantly higher than control soil samples after 20 years of ceasing the grapevine cultivation

Summary

Introduction

Vine growing and wine-making have been prominent in Europe, and in Italy, since antiquity [1]. Those directed to control downy mildew (caused by Plasmopara viticola) are based on copper-containing products, with rameic sulphate + calcium hydroxide/copper oxychloride being one of the most common treatments [4,5,6]. When present in neutral or slightly basic soil, Cu leads to different compounds all converging with time toward the highly insoluble CuO (having a solubility product Ksp = 10−19.51 , 298 K [9]) This leads to copper accumulation in the soil [10,11] and when pH locally decreases, for example in the proximity of the plant roots as a consequence of organic. FamilyHence,decomposition, Cu concentration in soils of traditional vineyards, and to by a lower of run vineyards can remain productive after one century longer to [13].

Grapevine Branches and Wine Samples

Chemical Analysis of Soil and Wine Samples

Results and Discussion

Soil Analysis

Wine Analysis

Conclusions