Diagnostic indicators for characterizing urban soils of Szeged, Hungary

Irén, Puskás; Farsang, Andrea

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2008.10.014

Cited by 58 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…The soil in some urban areas is characterized by high heterogeneity with a very complex spatial variability (e.g., Lorenz and Lal 2009;Scalenghe and Ajmone Marsan 2009;Puskás and Farsang 2009;Wang et al 2011), which was confirmed in our study (see ranges, SDs, and CVs% for soil properties; Tables 2, 3, and 4). Many studies indicated highly variable concentration of organic C, the total N, and the C:N ratio.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

The impact of the soil sealing degree on microbial biomass, enzymatic activity, and physicochemical properties in the Ekranic Technosols of Toruń (Poland)

Piotrowska-Długosz

Charzyński

2014

J Soils Sediments

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

The impact of the soil sealing degree on microbial biomass, enzymatic activity, and physicochemical properties in the Ekranic Technosols of Toruń (Poland)

Piotrowska-Długosz

Charzyński

2014

J Soils Sediments

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“…The roadside soils in Hong Kong, China, had a mean pH of 8.7, in which over half of the samples were rated strongly alkaline (pH 8.5-9.0) and very strongly alkaline (pH 9.0-9.5; Jim 1998c). In Szeged, Hungary, the urban soil pH was 7.6-9.1, while local hill soil developed on granitic material had a pH of 4.0-5.0 (Puskás and Farsang 2009). A study in Nanjing, China, showed that the pH gradient from rural to urban gradually increased from about 6.0 to more than 7.5 .…”

Section: Phmentioning

confidence: 99%

Formation, characteristics and eco-environmental implications of urban soils – A review

Yang

Zhang

2015

Soil Science and Plant Nutrition

126

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Soils in urban areas have versatile functions, and their ecological services, especially the ability to buffer and purify pollutants, are very much needed. However, the formation and characteristics of urban soils are strongly affected by human activities, and so are their functions. In urban areas, soil horizons are often irregularly established, with anthropogenic layers and a high degree of heterogeneity owing to human disturbance and infill. Soil structure is often under degradation due to artifacts and technogenic substrata, mechanical compaction and human trampling. Physical degradation, such as compaction and destruction of structure, may reduce the ability of urban soils in infiltrating water and storing capacity, thus causing a higher runoff and pollutant load to the receiving water bodies. Soil compaction is also believed to worsen city heat island effects by reflecting more radiation, and seriously reduce the soil gas capacity and exchange. However, soil sealing fully loses its service function, further deteriorating urban ecology and environment. Enrichment of various waste materials associated with human activities, including nutrient elements, heavy metals and organic pollution, is the major problem of the urban soil environment. Materials containing rich liming in the urban soils lead to alkaline soil conditions, which can change element speciation and activities. The main features of urban soil contamination are characterized by strong accumulation of so-called "urban elements" such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg), but less accumulation of other heavy metals. During the process of urban development, heavy metal contamination of urban soils not only happens nowadays, but also did in the past, especially when primitive mining and metal processing prevailed. Furthermore, urban soils are often polluted by organic pollutants, especially polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Platinum group elements (PGE), especially platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd) and rhodium (Rh) from automobile exhaust catalysts, are also accumulated in urban soils as affected by traffic. Physical and chemical degradation decrease soil enzymes and microbial activities, especially in industrial zones with high concentrations of heavy metals, low concentrations of organic matter and serious compaction. Unfortunately, the evolution of urban soil and attenuation of ecological function are believed to ultimately harm human welfare. Therefore, it is very important to establish a risk assessment system for better management of urban soil resources.

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“…Regarding the soils of Hungarian cities, heavy metal content has only been measured in Budapest (Kovács and Nyári 1984) and in Debrecen (Szegedi 1999a;Sándor et al 2013). Puskás and colleagues performed the measurement and classification of urban soils in Szeged (Puskás and Farsang 2007;Puskás et al 2008;Puskás and Farsang 2009), where the accumulation of metals in urban garden soils has been also found (Szolnoki et al 2013). In Sopron, Varga et al (1999) analyzed the topsoil (0-5 cm) next to urban trees several years ago, but a city-wide investigation has not been carried out since then.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil condition and pollution in urban soils: evaluation of the soil quality in a Hungarian town

2014

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Purpose: In the course of our investigation, we analyzed physical and chemical parameters as well as heavy metal contents in the urban soils of Sopron, Hungary. Our aim was to identify the main feedback effects between the town and its environment.Materials and methods: Altogether, 208 samples were collected at 104 sites at depths of 0-10 and 10-20 cm in a standard network. The results have been represented in a GIS system, providing a useful basis for the research. We measured the following chemical and physical parameters: soil pH (pH(H2O), pH(KCl)), calcium carbonate content, particle size distribution, humus content, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) soluble Mn, Cu, Zn, and Fe contents. In addition, 24 heavy metals, including Co, Cd, Cu, Pb, Zn, and Ni, were also measured following the method of Lakanen-Erviö. Relationships between these elements were evaluated in both soil layers.Results and discussion: In the downtown, most of the soils we investigated were alkaline. Therefore, the pollution of these soils has not yet leached into deeper layers. The Pb content was very high in both layers throughout the whole area of the town. Urban soils with high Cu content have been found mostly from garden and viticulture areas. Cd contents were the highest in the traffic zones, confirmed by the literature, reaching 3 mg Cd/kg soil. The Co and Zn results were below the Hungarian background and pollution limits (discussed below).Conclusions: According to the results, we have found the highest average values of heavy metals in the soils of parks, possibly originating from traffic contamination, binding in the soil of urban green spaces, thus possibly affecting human health. In the future, a detailed analysis of these polluted green areas will be carried out.

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Diagnostic indicators for characterizing urban soils of Szeged, Hungary

Cited by 58 publications

References 21 publications

The impact of the soil sealing degree on microbial biomass, enzymatic activity, and physicochemical properties in the Ekranic Technosols of Toruń (Poland)

The impact of the soil sealing degree on microbial biomass, enzymatic activity, and physicochemical properties in the Ekranic Technosols of Toruń (Poland)

Formation, characteristics and eco-environmental implications of urban soils – A review

Soil condition and pollution in urban soils: evaluation of the soil quality in a Hungarian town

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