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Watershed scale assessment of rare earth elements in soils derived from sedimentary rocks

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Abstract

Despite the rare earth elements (REEs) being considered as emerging contaminants, their natural values and possible anthropogenic enrichments in soils have not been studied well in Brazil. The intensive use of conditioners and fertilizers in agricultural frontiers from Brazilian Cerrado can increase the concentration of REE in soils of the region. In this context, the objectives of this study were to determine the natural content and establish quality reference values (QRV) for REEs in soils of a watershed from Brazilian Cerrado composed of sedimentary rocks and to evaluate the influence of agricultural cultivation and the spatial variability of these elements. Thirty and twenty-six composite soil samples were collected under native vegetation and soybean cultivation, respectively. The background concentrations followed the order (mg kg−1) Ce > Nd > La > Pr > Sm > Yb > Er > Eu > Dy. The QRVs established were as follows (mg kg−1): La (1.76), Ce (5.20), Pr (0.74), Nd (1.35), Sm (0.38), Eu (0.06), Dy (0.15), Er (0.12), and Yb (0.14). Lantanium, Ce, and Er exhibited strong spatial dependence, while Eu, Dy, and Yb showed weak or total absence of spatial dependence. The spherical model was most suitable for the spatial characteristics of REEs. The parent material, mainly characterized by soils derived from sedimentary rocks (i.e., sandstone), was the primordial source of REEs for soils and that there was no or little effect of agricultural practices on these levels. Our data reinforced the need for geochemical mapping at the watershed scale, since they are important conservation units.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) that provided a scholarship to the first author.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Agronomy Department, Federal University of Piaui (UFPI), Planalto horizonte, Bom Jesus, PI, 64900-000, Brazil

    Bárbara de Albuquerque Pereira, Yuri Jacques Agra Bezerra da Silva, Cácio Luiz Boechat & Ronny Sobreira Barbosa

  2. Agronomy Department, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE), Dom Manuel de Medeiros street, s/n—Dois Irmãos, Recife, PE, 52171-900, Brazil

    Clístenes Williams Araújo do Nascimento, Ygor Jacques Agra Bezerra da Silva & Rennan Cabral Nascimento

  3. Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department and Zachry Department of Civil Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843-2117, USA

    Vijay P. Singh

  4. National Water Center, UAE University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

    Vijay P. Singh

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  1. Bárbara de Albuquerque Pereira
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  2. Yuri Jacques Agra Bezerra da Silva
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de Albuquerque Pereira, B., da Silva, Y.J.A.B., do Nascimento, C.W.A. et al. Watershed scale assessment of rare earth elements in soils derived from sedimentary rocks. Environ Monit Assess 191, 514 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-019-7658-y

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