Arsenic concentration and bioavailability in soils as a function of soil properties: A Florida case study

Dibyendu Sarkar, Rupali Datta

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapterpeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background arsenic (As) concentrations are important measures of defining the level of contamination in soils and for setting up soil cleanup goals. Twelve surface soil samples from each of three ecological zones of Florida, namely, salt marsh, freshwater marsh, and pine flatwoods, were characterized to determine which soil properties most influence As retention and availability. Soils were analyzed for total As, phytoavailable As, and bioavailable As concentrations. The most important soil properties that control As biogeochemistry in soils were Fe, Al, Ca, and P contents; cation exchange capacity; and soil organic matter. Arsenic concentration was significantly higher in the salt marsh soils compared to the freshwater marsh and pine flatwoods soils; the latter two were not significantly different from one another. Phytoavailable As contributed towards 2 to 16% of total soil As. The amount of As bioavailable to the human gastrointestinal system was generally higher than As available to plants. Although total As concentration was greatest in salt marsh soils, percent bioavailability was the lowest. In contrast, pine flatwoods’ soils had the highest percentage of bioavailable As in spite of having the lowest total As concentrations. Results demonstrate that total As content is not a good indicator of soil contamination level as far as risk to human health is concerned.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationTrace Elements in the Environment
Subtitle of host publicationBiogeochemistry, Biotechnology, and Bioremediation
Pages77-93
Number of pages17
ISBN (Electronic)9781420032048
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2005

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