Abstract
The paired Fluvisol and cereal samples in both the field screening and controlled experiments are reported to elucidate the soil–crop relationship for As, Cd, and Pb in relation to changing contamination levels. Significant varietal differences in plant uptake were observed for crop type (barley, triticale) and the harvested part of the crop (oat shoots and grain). When parametrizing the stepwise regression models, the inclusion of soil properties often improved the performance of soil–crop models but diverse critical soil parameters were retained in the model for individual metal(loid)s. The pH value was often a statistically significant variable for Cd uptake. For As and Pb, the more successful model fit was achieved using the indicators of quantity or quality of soil organic matter, but always with lower inherent model reliability compared to Cd. Further, a single correlation analysis was used to investigate the relationship between extractable metal concentrations in soil solution and their crop accumulation. For Cd, there were strong intercorrelations among single extractions, the NH4NO3 extraction stood out with perfect correlation with plant uptake in both experiments. For As and Pb, the CaCl2 and Na2EDTA solutions outperformed other single extractions and were the better choice for the assessment of depositional fluvial substrates.
Highlights
The prime conditions either for farming or various services for human society have been provided by floodplains since the dawn of civilization
Lower metal(loid) extractability was reflected in their low translocation into grains of cereals cultivated in the floodplain areas
Indirect effects of soil properties on risky elements in cereal crops were determined from the product of the simple correlation coefficient between soils and plants after the soils had been grouped according to the various soil properties
Summary
The prime conditions either for farming or various services for human society (settlement, manufacturing) have been provided by floodplains since the dawn of civilization. The changing spatial and temporal character of biogeochemical processes makes floodplains geochemically reactive pools affecting the retention/remobilization of TEs. Since intensive farming encounters vulnerable soil conditions for the mobilization of TEs, concern about their possible transfers into the human food chain may be raised [2]. Understanding element uptake by various crop plants has been of general concern for food security [14], from a toxicity point of view [15] as well as remediation purposes [16], especially for the metal(loids) with established or suspected adverse effects The indirect route for entry into the food chain via bioaccumulation may considerably contribute to potential health risks [1,6], and especially cereals and grains may play a crucial role in dietary exposure [17]. Since the atmospheric deposition can contribute to contamination of plant tissues, the indicators of atmospheric deposition for studied metal(loid)s were included in the model building for field screening or were reduced in controlled conditions of experiments
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