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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Combined Size and Density Fractionation of Soils for Investigations of Organo-Mineral Interactions
Published on: February 15, 2019
Copper fractionation and release from soils devoted to different crops.
D Fernández-Calviño1, C Pérez-Novo, J C Nóvoa-Muñoz
1Area de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencias do Solo, Universidade de Vigo, Facultade de Ciencias, Ourense, Spain.
Copper release from acid soils differs based on copper origin. Vineyard soils with anthropogenic copper show significantly higher copper release with changing pH compared to maize soils with naturally weathered copper.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Soil Science
- Geochemistry
Background:
- Soil copper (Cu) availability is influenced by pH and origin.
- Acid soils under agricultural use can accumulate copper from various sources.
- Understanding copper fractions is crucial for assessing environmental risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate copper release as a function of pH in acid soils.
- To compare copper behavior in vineyard soils (anthropogenic Cu) versus maize soils (natural Cu).
- To determine the impact of copper origin on its fractionation and release.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of eight acid soil samples from vine and maize cultivation.
- Measurement of total copper (Cu(t)) concentrations.
- Assessment of copper release across a range of pH values.
Main Results:
- Vineyard soils exhibited higher organically bound copper fractions compared to maize soils.
- Copper release with changing pH was one order of magnitude greater in vineyard soils.
- Soil pH significantly affects copper mobility, with origin playing a key role.
Conclusions:
- The anthropogenic origin of copper in vineyard soils leads to greater mobility and release compared to naturally derived copper in maize soils.
- Organically bound copper is a key fraction influencing copper release in vineyard soils.
- Management practices influencing copper sources in soils can impact environmental availability.
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