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Distribution of major elements and trace metals as indicators of technosolisation of urban and suburban soils

  • IUSS SUITMA 6 INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM 2011
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Can geochemical characteristics indicate the human impact on soil formation (technosolisation) for urban and suburban soils? This question is assessed for the city of Marrakech located in one of the main agricultural areas of Morocco and characterized by a very rapid rate of expansion. The aim of this work is to assess geochemical properties of surface horizons of urban and suburban soils and to compare them with land use types.

Materials and methods

Fifty-eight surface soil samples were collected in different sectors of the city with different land use histories. As land use can be defined as the human use of land, these sampling sites were selected according to the current human activity (e.g., residential districts, agriculture, market-gardening, traditional, or industrial activities) and according to the superposition of the land use over time. All samples were air-dried, disaggregated, homogenized, and then sieved through a 2-mm mesh. Major elements and trace metals were measured in the soil using X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. For technical limits, Cd was measured using atomic adsorption spectrometry.

Results and discussion

Urban and suburban soils of Marrakech present generally similar geochemical compositions for many elements. Siliceous (SiO2) compounds related to the parent material are dominant in these soils. However, the significant concentrations of P2O5 and CaO, measured in some of the urban soils studied, can be attributed to anthropogenic inputs of phosphorus (P) and technic materials, mainly building materials composed of cement and gypsum (plaster). Soils collected from agricultural areas irrigated with urban wastewater and soils developed on rubbish dumps are the most contaminated by metals (e.g., Cu, Zn, and Pb). Therefore, the distribution of major and trace elements in soils underlines the considerable impact of urban land uses.

Conclusions

Human activities determine the type of land use, impact the urban environment, and cause a wide spatial diversity of soil quality. The urban and suburban soils of Marrakech contain similar major element distributions except for strongly anthropised soils (soils developed on rubbish dumps and agricultural soils irrigated with urban wastewater). Unlike major elements, trace elements present systematically significantly higher concentrations in urban soils than those measured in control soils. In these conditions, the highest concentrations exceed international clean-up standards and are correlated with land use type. Phosphorus, Ca, and several heavy metals are proposed as indicators of human impacts on soil characteristics in urban and suburban environments.

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Acknowledgment

The authors acknowledge with gratitude the assistance received from the Morrocan-French Action Intégrée MA/04/ 105F (Sciences de la Vie et de la Santé) and the French GISFI program (Etat Français, Région Lorraine).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Aliments, Environnement et Santé, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Département de Biologie, Université Cadi Ayyad, Boulevard Abdelkrim Khattabi, BP 549, 40 000, Marrakech, Morocco

    Hicham El Khalil, Ouafae El Hamiani & Ali Boularbah

  2. UMR 1120, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, Université de Lorraine, 2, avenue de la Forêt de Haye, BP 172, 54505, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France

    Hicham El Khalil, Christophe Schwartz & Jean Louis Morel

  3. INRA, UMR 1120, Laboratoire Sols et Environnement, 2, avenue de la Forêt de Haye, BP 172, 54505, Vandœuvre-lès-Nancy Cedex, France

    Hicham El Khalil, Christophe Schwartz & Jean Louis Morel

  4. Universität des Saarlandes, Zentrum für Umweltforschung Zeile 2, Am Markt, 66125, Saarbrücken, Germany

    Jochen Kubiniok

Authors
  1. Hicham El Khalil
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  2. Christophe Schwartz
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  3. Ouafae El Hamiani
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  4. Jochen Kubiniok
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  5. Jean Louis Morel
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  6. Ali Boularbah
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Correspondence to Christophe Schwartz.

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Responsible editor: Richard K. Shaw

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El Khalil, H., Schwartz, C., El Hamiani, O. et al. Distribution of major elements and trace metals as indicators of technosolisation of urban and suburban soils. J Soils Sediments 13, 519–530 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-012-0594-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-012-0594-x

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