Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Fractionation of heavy metals and evaluation of the environmental risk for the alkaline soils of the Thriassio plain: a residential, agricultural, and industrial area in Greece

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Environmental Earth Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of the present study is to test metals’ accumulation and behavior in surface soils of Thriassio plain, Attica, an area registered as probably the most polluted in Greece. Avoiding sampling close to obvious specific pollution sources, 50 surface soil samples were collected and the Tessier fractionation scheme was applied to determine the chemical partitioning of Pb, Cu, Zn, Ni and Cr. Five chemical fractions of the studied metals were defined: exchangeable (F1), acid-soluble (F2), reducible (F3), oxidizable (F4) and residual (F5). The highest Cu, Ni and Cr concentrations were measured in the residual fraction, while the highest Zn and Pb concentrations were found in the reducible fraction. However, F3 Cr and Ni concentrations were also high. These increased amounts of Zn and Pb and to a lesser extent those of Cr and Ni found in the reducible fraction indicate a potential hazard of metals’ mobilization under flooding and anaerobic conditions due to excess irrigation or rain water. Concentration of Pb in F1 was high suggesting recent pollution episodes. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that the exchangeable fraction of Zn, Pb, Cr and Ni is strongly related to the soil clay content and the oxidizable fraction of Cr and Ni to organic matter content. According to PCA results, no other clear relation between the extracted metal fractions and the soil components (i.e. CaCO3 eq., organic matter, clay and amorphous iron oxides) was observed. The weak relation of CaCO3 eq., content with many metal fractions suggests that carbonates affect the chemical partitioning of metals in alkaline soils with high CaCO3 eq., content. The high values of mobility factor for Pb, Cu, Ni and Zn point to a considerable risk since these metals may accumulate in soil biota and plants.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ajmone-Marsan F, Biasioli M (2010) Trace elements in soils of urban areas. Water Air Soil Pollut 213:121–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Argyraki A, Kelepertzis E (2014) Urban soil geochemistry in Athens, Greece: the importance of local geology in controlling the distribution of potentially harmful trace elements. Sci Total Environ 482–483:366–377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Borch T, Kretzschmar R, Kappler A, Van Cappellen P, Ginder-Vogel M, Voegelin A, Campbell K (2010) Biogeochemical redox processes and their impact on contaminant dynamics. Environ Sci Technol 44:15–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bouyoucos GH (1951) A recalibration of the hydrometer method for making mechanical analysis of soils. Agron J 43:434–438

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Businelli M, Casciari F, Businelli D, Gigliotti G (2003) Mechanisms of Pb(II) sorption and desorption at some clays and goethite–water interfaces. Agronomie 23:219–225

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dousis P, Anastopoulos I, Gasparatos D, Ehaliotis C, Massas I (2013) Effect of time and glucose-C on the fractionation of Zn and Cu in a slightly acid soil. Commun Soil Sci Plan 44:722–732

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Facchinelli A, Sacchi E, Mallen L (2001) Multivariate statistical and GIS-based approach to identify heavy metal sources in soils. Environ Pollut 114:313–324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gasparatos D (2013) Sequestration of heavy metals from soil with Fe–Mn concretions and nodules. Environ Chem Lett 11:1–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gasparatos D, Haidouti C (2001) A comparison of wet oxidation methods for determination of total phosphorus in soils. J Plant Nutr and Soil Sci 164:435–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gleyzes C, Tellier S, Astruc M (2002) Fractionation studies of trace elements in contaminated soils and sediments: a review of sequential extraction procedures. Trend Anal Chem 21:451–467

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iwegbue CMA (2007) Metal fractionation in soil profiles at automobiles mechanic waste dumps. Waste Manage Res 25:585–593

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iwegbue CMA (2013) Chemical fractionation and mobility of heavy metals in soils in the vicinity of Asphalt plants in Delta State, Nigeria. Environ Forensics 14:248–259

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Iwegbue CMA, Ewhrudje MO, Nwajei GE, Egboh SHO (2007) Chemical speciation of heavy metals in sediments of Ase River, Nigeria. Chem Spec Bioavailab 9:119–129

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiang M, Zeng G, Zhang C, Ma X, Chen M, Zhang J, Lu L, Yu Q, Hu L, Liu L (2013) Assessment of heavy metal contamination in the surrounding soils and surface sediments in Xiawangang River, Qingshuitang District. PLoS ONE 8:1–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Kabala C, Singh BR (2001) Fractionation and mobility of copper, lead and zinc in soil profile in the vicinity of a copper smelter. J Environ Qual 3:485–492

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lei M, Zhang Y, Khan S, Qin PF, Liao BH (2010) Pollution, fractionation, and mobility of Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn in garden and paddy soils from a Pb/Zn mining area. Environ Monit Assess 168:215–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lindsay WL, Norvell WA (1978) Development of DTPA soil test for zinc, iron, manganese and copper. Soil Sci Soc Am J 42:421–428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu Y, Gong ZT, Zhang GL, Burghardt W (2003) Concentrations and chemical speciations of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cr of urban soils in Nanjing, China. Geoderma 115:101–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo XS, Yu S, Li XD (2012) The mobility, bioavailability, and human bioaccessibility of trace metals in urban soils of Hong Kong. Appl Geochem 27:995–1004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lykoudis S, Psounis N, Mavrakis A, Christides A (2008) Predicting photochemical pollution in an industrial area. Environ Monit Assess 142:279–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Massas I, Ehaliotis C, Kalivas D, Panagopoulou G (2010) Concentrations and availability indicators of soil heavy metals; the case of children’s playgrounds in the city of Athens (Greece). Water Air Soil Pollut 212:51–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Massas I, Kalivas D, Ehaliotis C, Gasparatos D (2013) Total and available heavy metal concentrations in soils of the Thriassio plain (Greece) and assessment of soil pollution indexes. Environ Monit Assess 185:6751–6766

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mavrakis A, Theoharatos G, Makrigiannis G (2005) Temporal evolution of SO2 concentrations and fuel types for the Thriassio Plain, Greece. In: Proceedings of the 2nd International Exergy, Energy and Environment Symposium (IEEES2), Kos-Greece, 3–7 July, 2005

  • Mavrakis A, Lykoudis S, Christides A, Dasaklis S, Tasopoulos A, Theoharatos G, Kyvelou S, Verouti E (2008) Air quality levels in a closed industrialized basin (Thriassion Plain, Greece). Fresen Environ Bull 17:443–454

    Google Scholar 

  • Moral R, Gilkes RJ, Jordan MM (2005) Distribution of heavy metals in calcareous and non-calcareous soils in Spain. Water Air Soil Pollut 162:127–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nelson DW, Sommers LE (1982) Total carbon, organic carbon and organic matter. In: Page AL, Miller RH, Keeney DR (eds) Methods of soil analysis. Part 2: chemical and microbiological properties. ASA, SSSA, Madison, WI, USA

  • Niesiobędzka K (2012) Transfer of copper, lead and zinc in soil–grass ecosystem in aspect of soils properties, in Poland. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 8:627–633

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papafilippaki A, Gasparatos D, Haidouti C, Stavroulakis G (2007) Total and bioavailable forms of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cr in agricultural soils: a study from the hydrological basin of Keritis, Chania, Greece. Global Nest J 9:201–206

    Google Scholar 

  • Ryan PC, Wall AJ, Hillier S, Clark L (2002) Insight to sequential chemical extraction procedure from quantitative XRD: a study of trace metal partitioning in sediments related to frog malformities. Chem Geol 184:337–357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sauvé S, Martinez CE, McBride M, Hendershot W (2000) Adsorption of free lead (Pb2+) by pedogenic oxides, ferrihydrite and leaf compost. Soil Sci Soc Am J 64:595–599

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scheinost AC, Abend S, Pandya KI, Sparks DL (2001) Kinetic control of Cu and Pb sorption by ferrihydrite. Environ Sci Technol 35:1090–1096

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tessier A, Campbell PGC, Bisson M (1979) Sequential extraction procedure for the speciation of particulate trace metals. Anal Chem 51:844–851

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang XS (2014) Metal geochemical and mineral magnetic characterization of the <2.5 lm fraction of urban soils in Xuzhou (China). Environ Earth Sci 71:3491–3501

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu KC, Tsai LJ, Chen SH, Ho ST (2001) Correlation analyses binding behavior of heavy metals with sediment matrices. Water Res 35:2417–2428

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zimmerman AJ, Weindorf DC (2010) Heavy metal and trace metal analysis in soil by sequential extraction. Int J Anal Chem. doi:10.1155/2010/387803

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Hydraulics, Soil Science and Agricultural Engineering, Soil Science Laboratory, School of Agriculture, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Dionisios Gasparatos

  2. Department of Natural Resources and Agricultural Engineering, Laboratory of Soils and Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str., 11855, Athens, Greece

    Georgia Mavromati, Panagiotis Kotsovilis & Ioannis Massas

Authors
  1. Dionisios Gasparatos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Georgia Mavromati
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Panagiotis Kotsovilis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ioannis Massas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ioannis Massas.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gasparatos, D., Mavromati, G., Kotsovilis, P. et al. Fractionation of heavy metals and evaluation of the environmental risk for the alkaline soils of the Thriassio plain: a residential, agricultural, and industrial area in Greece. Environ Earth Sci 74, 1099–1108 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4096-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-015-4096-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation