Content of selected trace elements and exchangeable cations in soils of the Barycz River Valley

Abstract

+, Na + ) and total content of the metals Fe, Mn, Zn, Pb and Cu. The genesis of the examined soils seems closely linked to the very wet moistened local environment, which significantly influenced the physical and physicochemical soil parameters. These soils were formed in a region crisscrossed by a dense network of watercourses of the Barycz River drainage basin, with strong ominant aquaculture traditions. The sum of base exchange cations (S) and cation exchange capacity (CEC) in the examined soils are strongly affected by the particle size distribution, the fact confirmed by significant positive relationships with the silt fraction and colloidal fraction, and significant negative correlations with the sand fraction. Higher content of Zn, Pb and Cu in surface genetic horizons of the examined soil profiles may point to the anthropogenic origin of the metals. Despite the dominant sandy texture, the soils are characterised by a thick humus horizon, abundant in TOC and TN, which increases their capacity for trace element accumulation. Our assessment of the contamination