Assessing and mapping urban soils as geochemical barriers for contamination by heavy metal(loid)s in Moscow megapolis

Abstract

Urbanization is responsible for some negative environmental consequences, including soil contamination by heavy metal(loid)s (HMs). At the same time, urban soils can buffer HMs and perform as geochemical barriers. For the case of Moscow city, the soil contamination by multiple HMs as well as soil buffer capacity was analyzed, mapped, and considered to assess urban soils as geochemical barriers. Comparison with the health standards indicated contamination by different HMs in 30–60% of the observations, and Zn and Cd were the most widely spread contaminants. “Hotspots” of contamination were shown in the central and eastern districts of Moscow with the most intensive traffic and congregation of industries. New spatial patterns were shown for soil performance as geochemical barriers to multiple HM contamination. High buffer capacity of loamy and slightly alkaline soils in the city center with high contamination level resulted in a better performance of soil geochemical barriers compared with some green zones and natural areas where low buffer capacity of loamy sandy and slightly acid soils were not enough to resist even relatively low contamination. The capacity of urban soil to perform a geochemical barrier for contamination by HMs is an important ecosystem service. Spatially explicit information on this ecosystem service can be highly relevant to assess environmental and health risks of urban soil contamination and to support decision making in urban planning and sustainable development.

High‐resolution mapping of soil pollution by Cu and Ni at a polar industrial barren area using proximal and remote sensing

“…However, the minimal sample size depends on the research area and purpose of the study (Hartemink et al, 2008). For example, global and regional maps are usually based on thousands of samples (e.g., Stoorvogel et al, 2017; Xie et al, 2011), whereas at the regional and local scale a hundred is a more typical sample size (Richter et al, 2020; Romzaykina et al, 2021). Soil pollution assessment also likely requires a smaller dataset than, for example, precise agriculture (Roberton et al, 2020).…”

Particulate matter resuspension from simulated urban green floors using a wind tunnel-mounted closed chamber

“…2 ). The soil layer was composed of river sand to simulate the soil texture of urban soil ( Jim & Ng, 2018 ; Caplan et al, 2019 ; Romzaykina et al, 2021 ). Fallen leaves were collected from an urban forest located in Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, Korea, and separated into broad and coniferous leaves.…”

Urban soils research: SUITMA 10

“…The degree of contamination is often correlated to land use history. Romzaykina et al (2021) report the same for Moscow City (Russia). In addition to mapping and assessing the ecological risk of Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, As and Hg, the authors also evaluated the buffering capacity of soils based on soil texture, pH, and soil organic carbon and argue that soil buffering capacity should be considered when assessing the risk from contaminated soils.…”