Copper Bioavailability and Fractionation in Copper-Contaminated Sandy Soils in the Wet Subtropics (Southern Brazil)

Abstract

We studied the distribution, bioavailability and speciation of copper in subtropical sandy soils exposed to long-term applications of copper-based fungicide. In the surface horizon of the contaminated soils, bioavailable copper surpasses the toxic threshold for plants up to several times. Mobile fractions of copper predominate in top layers, contributing to contamination spreading downward to groundwater. Copper accumulates on the underlying iron hydroxide barrier in quantities comparable to total copper concentrations in the surface horizon. Despite the impediment of the geochemical barrier, most applied copper reaches the aquifer, contaminating the groundwater.

Phytoremediation of Copper-Contaminated Soil

“…(Mirlean et al 2009 ;Komárek et al 2010 ;Pavlovic 2011 ). The highest Cu concentrations occur usually in the surface soil layers (Pietrzak and McPhail 2004 ;Wightwick et al 2006 ;Mirlean et al 2007 ), where they may be as high as in the range 500-1,000 mg/kg.…”

Arsenic from gold mining in marine and stream sediments in Baja California Sur, Mexico

“…The As concentrations were measured by a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer coupled with a hydride generator that used 1 % NaBH 4 with 0.1 M NaOH and 2 M HCl. All samples were analysed in triplicate following the quality control procedures described by Mirlean et al (2009). Additionally, to validate the method, duplicates of each 8th sample and certified materials were intercalated as one sample.…”

An overview of the recent approaches to terroir functional modelling, footprinting and zoning

“…Depletion of soil fertility in general, along with the concomitant problems of weeds, pests and diseases, is the fundamental root cause of low agricultural production on a global level (Tan et al, 2005). Even if grapevines are not demanding with regard to nutrients, they nevertheless require an adequate supply, which may no longer exist in terroirs where the soils are undergoing degradation processes, especially soil losses (Le Bissonnais et al, 2007;Martínez-Casasnovas et al, 2009Paroissien et al, 2010;Novara et al, 2011;Quiquerez et al, 2014;Chevigny et al, 2014;Lieskovsky and Kenderessy, 2014), nutrient depletion (Ramos and Martínez-Casanovas, 2006), compaction (Lagacherie et al, 2006), salinization and sodization (Clark et al, 2002;Crescimanno and Garofalo, 2006; al., 2007; Costantini and Lorenzetti, 2013), pesticide runoff and deposition (Landry et al, 2005;Louchart and Voltz, 2007;Lacas et al, 2012;Daouk et al, 2013;Lefrancq et al, 2013) and copper contamination (Pieztrak and McPhail, 2004;Chopin et al, 2008;Komárek et al, 2008;Wightwick et al, 2008;Mirlean et al, 2007Mirlean et al, , 2009Rusjan et al, 2007;El Hadri et al, 2012;Fernández-Calviño et al, 2013;El Azzi et al, 2013;Lai et al, 2013). In Burgundy, using vine-stock unearthing-burying measurements (Brenot et al, 2008), Chevigny et al (2014) estimated that the erosion rate had increased significantly over the last decade and also that the spatial distribution of erosion had changed and was now basically controlled by ...…”

“…For example, viticultural soils appear to be exposed to degradation processes, perhaps more than ever, because of unsuitable practices in land management (Blavet et al, 2009;Follain et al, 2012;Costantini and Lorenzetti, 2013). In addition, soil contamination by copper resulting from the cumulated use of Bordeaux mixture and other copper fungicides is increasingly an issue (Pieztrak and McPhail, 2004;Fernández-Calviño et al, 2013;Chopin et al, 2008;Mirlean et al, 2007Mirlean et al, , 2009El Hadri et al, 2012;El Azzi et al, 2013) and appears to result in modifying the spatial distribution and composition of soil microbial communities (Jacobson et al, 2007;Mackie et al, 2013). Because of water scarcity, irrigation may be practiced with saline water or saline effluent, with possible deleterious effects on plant growth (Walker et al, 2002;Paranychianakis and Angelakis, 2008;Stevens et al, 2010Stevens et al, , 2011) and on soil salinity, structure and quality (Crescimanno et al, 2007;Urdanoz and Aragüés, 2009).…”