Arsenic in agricultural and grazing land soils of Europe

Tarvainen T.;Albanese S.;Birke M.;Poňaviĉ M.;Reimann C.;Andersson M.;Arnoldussen A.;Baritz R.;Batista M. J.;Bel Lan A.;Cicchella D.;Demetriades A.;De Vivo B.;Dinelli E.;De Vos W.;Duris M.;Dusza Dobek A.;Eggen O. A.;Eklund M.;Ernstsen V.;Filzmoser P.;Finne T. E.;Flight D.;Forrester S.;Fuchs M.;Fugedi U.;Gilucis A.;Gosar M.;Gregorauskiene V.;Gulan A.;Halamić J.;Haslinger E.;Hayoz P.;Hobiger G.;Hoffmann R.;Hoogewerff J.;Hrvatovic H.;Husnjak S.;Janik L.;Johnson C.;Jordan G.;Kirby J.;Kivisilla J.;Klos V.;Krone F.;Kwecko P.;Kuti L.;Ladenberger A.;Lima A.;Locutura J.;Lucivjansky P.;Mackovych D.;Malyuk B. I.;Maquil R.;McLaughlin M. J.;Meuli R. G.;Miosic N.;Mol G.;Négrel P.;O'Connor P.;Oorts K.;Ottesen R. T.;Pasieczna A.;Petersell V.;Pfleiderer S.;Prazeres C.;Rauch U.;Salpeteur;Schedl A.;Scheib A.;Schoeters I.;Sefcik P.;Sellersjö E.;Skopljak F.;Slaninka I.;Šorša A.;Srvkota R.;Stafilov T.;Trendavilov V.;VALERA, PAOLO;Verougstraete V.;Vidojević D.;Zissimos A. M.;Zomeni Z.

2013-01-01

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Abstract

Arsenic concentrations are reported for the <2 mm fraction of ca. 2200 soil samples each from agricultural (Ap horizon, 0–20 cm) and grazing land (Gr, 0–10 cm), covering western Europe at a sample density of 1 site/2500 km2. Median As concentrations in an aqua regia extraction determined by inductively coupled plasma emission mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) were 5.7 mg/kg for the Ap samples and 5.8 mg/kg for the Gr samples. The median for the total As concentration as determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) was 7 mg/kg in both soil materials. Maps of the As distribution for both land-use types (Ap and Gr) show a very similar geographical distribution. The dominant feature in both maps is the southern margin of the former glacial cover seen in the form of a sharp boundary between northern and southern European As concentrations. In fact, the median As concentration in the agricultural soils of southern Europe was found to be more than 3-fold higher than in those of northern Europe (Ap: aqua regia: 2.5 vs. 8.0 mg/kg; total: 3 vs. 10 mg/kg). Most of the As anomalies on the maps can be directly linked to geology (ore occurrences, As-rich rock types). However, some features have an anthropogenic origin. The new data define the geochemical background of As in agricultural soils at the European scale.