Abstract
The study of Technosols development, spatial distribution and physicochemical characteristics is becoming more and more important in the Anthropocene Era. The aim of the present study was to assess soil features and potential heavy metal release risk of soils developed on different mine tailing types after the waste disposal derived from mining activity in Central Italy. Soils were analyzed for their morphological, physical and chemical properties, and a chemical sequential extraction of heavy metals was performed. The investigated soils were classified as Technosols toxic having in some layer within 50 cm of the soil surface inorganic materials with high concentrations of toxic elements. Our findings showed that the bioavailability of potentially toxic element concentrations in the soil changed according to the origin of the mine tailing. However, because of the acidic pH, there is a serious risk of metals leaching which was reduced where the soil organic matter content was higher.
Highlights
All the investigated soils were classified Technosols toxic having in some layer within 50 cm of the soil surface inorganic materials with high concentrations of toxic elements
Spolic Technosols (Toxic, Transportic) were classified in those areas where soils were characterized by transported mine gangue materials (GR2), containing >35% mine debris that have been transported from the mining area
According to the material deposited, the pedogenesis can differ according to the degree of mineral alteration leading to different level of soil vulnerability to heavy metals release
Summary
The process of soil formation and development, can be strongly influenced by human activity in many parts of the world [4,5]. In soil sciences, this awareness has been assumed by the World Reference Base [6], that has introduced the concept of soils developed by strong human influence due to long and intensive agricultural use (Anthrosols) or soils containing significant amounts of artefacts and trace elements acc+umulation (Technosols) [4,6,7].
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