Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Spatial Distribution and Contamination Assessment of Heavy Metals in Urban Topsoils from Las Tunas City, Cuba

  • Published:
Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Concentrations of Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Pb and Fe in the topsoils (0–10 cm) from Las Tunas city were measured by X-ray fluorescence analysis. The mean Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb contents in the urban topsoil samples (97 ± 30, 14 ± 2, 35 ± 36, 94 ± 26, 199 ± 87 and 42 ± 29 mg kg−1 dry weight, respectively) were compared with mean concentrations for other cities around the world with similar population. Cr content in school grounds, parks and residential areas exceed in 20 % the average Cr background level. Highest content for Ni was determined in residential areas, for Zn in market gardens soils and as for Pb, the highest topsoil-background content ratios were observed for market gardens (2.7) and residential areas (2.3). Spatial distribution maps indicated the same behaviour for Cr–Co–Ni and Pb–Zn, respectively, whereas the spatial distribution of Cu differs from other heavy metals. On the other hand, the metal-to-iron normalisation, using (10–20 cm) bottom soil contents as background, showed that topsoils in Las Tunas city are severely enriched with lead and not enriched with the rest of the determined metals. The average values of integrated pollution index (IPI) indicated that soils are moderately contaminated by heavy metals (1.17 ≤ IPIave ≤ 1.39), but enrichment index values shows that metal concentrations on the studied locations are not above the permissible levels for urban agriculture.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acosta JA, Faz A, Martínez-Martínez S, Arocena JM (2011) Enrichment of metals in soils subjected to different land uses in a typical Mediterranean environment (Murcia City, southeast Spain). Appl Geochem 26:405–414

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alloway BJ (2004) Contamination of soils in domestic gardens and allotments: a brief review. Land Contam Reclam 12:179–187

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Altieri MA, Companioni N, Cañizares K, Murphy C, Rosset P, Bourque M, Nicholls CI (1999) The greening of the ‘‘barrios’’: urban agriculture for food security in Cuba. Agric Hum Values 16:131–140

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Birch G (2003) A scheme for assessing human impacts on coastal aquatic environment using sediments, In: Wollongong CD. University Papers in Center for Maritime Policy, 14, Australia

  • Chen TB, Zheng YM, Lei M, Huang ZC, Wu HT, Chen H, Fan KK, Yu K, Wu X, Tian QZ (2005) Assessment of heavy metal pollution in surface soils of urban parks in Beijing, China. Chemosphere 60:542–551

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cuban National Statistical Office (2011) Cuban population at December 31, 2010 (in Spanish) http://www.one.cu/EstadisticaPoblacion/. Accessed 1 June 2012

  • De Miguel E, Llamas JF, Chacónn E, Berg T, Larssen S, Royset O et al (1997) Origin and patterns of distribution of trace elements in street dust: unleaded petrol and urban lead. Atmos Environ 31(17):2733–2740

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Miguel E, Iribarren I, Chacon E, Ordonez A, Charlesworth S (2007) Risk-based evaluation of the exposure of children to trace elements in playgrounds in Madrid (Spain). Chemosphere 66:505–533

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Díaz Rizo O, Echevarría Castillo F, Arado López JO, Hernández Merlo M (2011a) Assessment of heavy metal pollution in urban soils of Havana city, Cuba. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 87:414–419

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Díaz Rizo O, Coto Hernández I, Arado López JO, Díaz Arado O, López Pino CM, D′Alessandro Rodríguez K (2011b) Chromium, cobalt and nickel content in urban soils from Moa, northeastern Cuba. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 86:189–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Díaz Rizo O, Hernández Merlo M, Echevarría Castillo F, Arado López JO (2012) Assessment of metal pollution in soils from a former Havana (Cuba) solid waste open dump. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 88:182–186

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Finster ME, Gray KA, Binns HJ (2004) Lead levels of edibles grown in contaminated residential soils: a field survey. Sci Total Environ 320:245–257

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo G, Wu F, Xie F, Zhang R (2012) Spatial distribution and pollution assessment of heavy metals in urban soils from southwest China. J Environ Sci 24(3):10–418

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huarong Z, Beicheng X, Chen F, Peng Z, Shili S (2012) Human health risk from soil heavy metal contamination under different land uses near Dabaoshan Mine, Southern China. Sci Tot Environ 417–418:45–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Kabata-Pendias A, Pendias H (2001) Trace elements in soils and plants, 3rd edn. CRC, New York, pp 10–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Kachenko AG, Singh B (2006) Heavy metals contamination in vegetables grown in urban and metal smelter contaminated sites in Australia. Water Air Soil Pollut 169:101–123

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leake J, Adam-Bradford A, Rigby JE (2009) Health benefits of ‘grow your own’ food in urban areas: implications for contaminated land risk assessment and risk management? Environ Health 8(Suppl 1):S6. doi:10.1186/1476-069X-8-S1-S6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee JS, Chon HT, Kim KW (1998) Migration and dispersion of trace elements in the rock–soil–plant system in areas underlain by black shales and slates of the Okchon Zone, Korea. J Geochem Explor 65:61–78

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liebens J, Mohrherr CJ, Rao KR (2012) Trace metal assessment in soils in a small city and its rural surroundings, Pensacola, FL, USA. Environ Earth Sci 65:1781–1793

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ljung K, Selinus O, Otabbong E (2006) Metals in soils of children’s urban environments in the small northern European city of Uppsala. Sci Tot Environ 366:749–759

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maas S, Scheifler R, Benslama M, Crini N, Lucot E, Brahmis Z (2010) Spatial distribution of heavy metal concentrations in urban, suburban and agricultural soils in a Mediterranean city of Algeria. Environ Pollut 158:2294–2301

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Murray H, Pinchin TA, Macfie SM (2011) Compost application affects metal uptake in plants grown in urban garden soils and potential human health risk. J Soils Sedim 11:815–829

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • NC (2006) Norma Cubana-493. Metallic contaminant in food – sanitary regulation. Cuban national bureau of standards. ICS:67.020, Havana (in Spanish)

  • Olivares-Rieumont S, Lima L, de la Rosa D, Gram DW, Columbie I, Santana JL, Sanchez MJ (2007) Water hyacinths (Eichhornia crassipes) as indicators of heavy metal impact of a large landfill on the Almendares River near Havana, Cuba. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 79:583–587

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Padilla R, Markowicz A, Wegrzynek D, Cano EC, Bamford SA, Torres HD (2007) Quality management and method validation in EDXRF analysis. X-ray Spectrom 36:27–34

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poggio L, Vrscaj B, Schulin R, Hepperle E, Marsan FA (2009) Metals pollution and human bioaccessibility of topsoils in Grugliasco (Italy). Environ Pollut 157:680–689

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Quevauviller Ph, Marrier E (1995) Quality assurance and quality control for environmental monitoring. VCH, Weinheim

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Säumel I, Kotsyuk I, Hölscher M, Lenkereit C, Weber F, Kowarik I (2012) How healthy is urban horticulture in high traffic areas? Trace metal concentrations in vegetable crops from plantings within inner city neighbourhoods in Berlin, Germany. Environ Pollut 165:124–132

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sharma RK, Agrawal M, Marshall FM (2009) Heavy metals in vegetables collected from production and market sites of a tropical urban area in India. Food Chem Toxicol 47:583–591

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Škrbić B, Đurišić-Mladenović N (2012) Distribution of heavy elements in urban and rural surface soils: the Novi Sad city and the surrounding settlements, Serbia. Environ Monit Assess. doi:10.1007/s10661-012-2567-3

    Google Scholar 

  • Tume P, Bech J, Longan Ll, Tume L, Reverter F, Sepulveda B (2006) Trace elements in natural surface soils in Sant Climent (Catalonia, Spain). Ecol Eng 27:145–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tume P, Bech J, Sepulveda B, Tume L, Bech J (2008) Concentrations of heavy metals in urban soils of Talcahuano (Chile): a preliminary study. Environ Monit Assess 140:91–98

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • WinAxil (2005) WinAxil code. Version 4.5.2. WinAxil. CANBERRA MiTAC

  • Yay OD, Alagha O, Tuncel G (2008) Multivariate statistics to investigate metal contamination in surface soil. Environ Manag 86:581–594

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Superior de Tecnologías y Ciencias Aplicadas, Ave. Salvador Allende y Luaces, POB 6163, 10600, La Habana, Cuba

    O. Díaz Rizo, D. Fonticiella Morell, J. O. Arado López, J. L. Borrell Muñoz, K. D‘Alessandro Rodríguez & N. López Pino

Authors
  1. O. Díaz Rizo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. D. Fonticiella Morell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. J. O. Arado López
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. J. L. Borrell Muñoz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. K. D‘Alessandro Rodríguez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. N. López Pino
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to O. Díaz Rizo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Díaz Rizo, O., Fonticiella Morell, D., Arado López, J.O. et al. Spatial Distribution and Contamination Assessment of Heavy Metals in Urban Topsoils from Las Tunas City, Cuba. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 91, 29–35 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-013-1020-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-013-1020-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation