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Soil properties influencing Hg vertical pattern in temperate forest podzols
Antía Gómez-Armesto1, Melissa Méndez-López1, Xabier Pontevedra-Pombal2
1Área de Edafoloxía e Química Agrícola, Departamento de Bioloxía Vexetal e Ciencia Do Solo, Facultade de Ciencias, Universidade de Vigo, Ourense, 32004, Spain; Environmental Technology and Assessment Laboratory. Campus da Auga - Campus of Ourense. University of Vigo, Ourense, 32004, Spain.
Environmental Research
|December 3, 2020
Summary
Mercury accumulates in Spanish podzol soils, primarily from atmospheric deposition. Organic matter and metal compounds drive mercury
Area of Science:
- Soil Science
- Environmental Chemistry
- Geochemistry
Background:
- Podzol soils are susceptible to mercury (Hg) accumulation.
- Understanding Hg dynamics is crucial for environmental risk assessment.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify key soil properties influencing mercury accumulation in NW Spain podzols.
- To determine the primary source of mercury in these soils.
- To elucidate mercury's pedogenetic processes and fate.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of mercury content (HgT) in twelve podzol soil profiles.
- Calculation of mercury enrichment factors.
- Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to identify influencing soil properties.
- Stepwise linear regression to model mercury distribution.
Main Results:
- Highest Hg concentrations were observed in Bh and Bs horizons (64 and 105 μg kg⁻¹).
- Atmospheric deposition is the predominant mercury source, not parent material.
- Organic matter, Al, and Fe compounds significantly influence mercury pedogenesis.
- Mercury mobilizes with dissolved organic matter in upper horizons and precipitates in illuvial horizons.
Conclusions:
- Mercury immobilization in sub-superficial podzol horizons offers environmental benefits.
- This process sequesters mercury away from surface horizons vulnerable to environmental changes.
- Understanding these mechanisms is vital for managing mercury contamination risks.
