Phytoavailability of potentially toxic elements from industrially contaminated soils to wild grass

Topsoil and grass samples from 14 sites located in different distances from three copper mining factories and a copper smelter were collected in Srednogorie, Bulgaria. The paper discusses results of studies on the mobility of potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn) from contaminated soils to wild grass Cynodon dactylon in terms of transfer (TF: soil to plant) and phytoavailability (PF: EDTA (ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid)-soluble to plant) factors. Soils located close to mine and smelter factories were heavily contaminated by As and Cu reaching levels up to 500 mg/kg and 2400 mg/kg, respectively for As and Cu. At seven sites arsenic and copper in grass were over the normal levels (1 mg/kg As; 20 mg/kg Cu). The content of Cu in grass averaged 63 mg/kg exceeding the maximum allowable for sheep. Relationship between PF and TF values was found for As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn but not for Mn and Cr. To some extent the soil pH, TOM (total organic matter) and CaCO₃ content are related to the phytoavailability of As, Cd and Cu since for Zn and Pb this relation is attributed to Al- and Fe-content of soil. Statistically significant correlation coefficients were determined between the EDTA-soluble fraction of soil and content in grass in the case of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Mn and Pb indicating the suitability of the short procedure for phytoavailability studies of those elements. The application of hierarchical cluster analysis and self-organizing maps of Kohonen made it possible to reveal specific hidden relationships between the soil variables and transfer factors as well as between the sampling locations. This additional information helps in more detailed interpretation of phytoavailability and transfer processes in the region of interest. The novelty in this study is achieved by careful consideration of the possibility of using EDTA extracts of the toxic metals in investigating of the phytoavailability and transfer processes soil/plant. Additionally, chemometric expertise used makes it possible to differentiate the behavior of each toxic metal in the processes studied. The combination of easy option for rapid extraction and intelligent data analysis gives a new perspective for contributions in explanation of the complex interactions between soils and plants when assessing pollution events in a certain environment.