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Distribution coefficients of potentially toxic elements in soils from the eastern Amazon

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Abstract

The solid-solution distribution or partition coefficient (Kd) is a measure of affinity of potentially toxic elements (PTE) for soil colloids. Kd plays a key role in several models for defining PTE guideline values in soils and for assessing environmental risks, and its value depends on edaphic and climatic conditions of the sites where the soils occur. This study quantified Kd values for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn from representative soil samples from Brazil’s eastern Amazon region, which measures 1.2 million km2. The Kd values obtained were lower than those set by both international and Brazilian environmental agencies and were correlated with the pH, Fe and Mn oxide content, and cationic exchange capacity of the soils. The following order of decreasing affinity was observed: Pb > Cu > Hg > Cr > Cd ≈ Co > Ni > Zn.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq) for funding this research via scholarships and Procad NF 155/2007.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Soil Science, Luiz de Queiroz School of Agriculture, University of São Paulo (ESALQ-USP), C.P. 9, Piracicaba, 13418-900, SP, Brazil

    Anderson Martins de Souza Braz & Luís Reynaldo Ferracciú Alleoni

  2. Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Federal Rural University of Amazon (ICA-UFRA), C.P. 917, Belém, 66077-530, PA, Brazil

    Antonio Rodrigues Fernandes

  3. Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo (CENA-USP), Piracicaba, 13400-970, SP, Brazil

    José Roberto Ferreira

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  1. Anderson Martins de Souza Braz
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  2. Antonio Rodrigues Fernandes
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  3. José Roberto Ferreira
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  4. Luís Reynaldo Ferracciú Alleoni
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Correspondence to Anderson Martins de Souza Braz.

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Responsible editor: Zhihong Xu

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de Souza Braz, A.M., Fernandes, A.R., Ferreira, J.R. et al. Distribution coefficients of potentially toxic elements in soils from the eastern Amazon. Environ Sci Pollut Res 20, 7231–7242 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-013-1723-9

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