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Defining soil geochemical baselines at small scales using geochemical common factors and soil organic matter as normalizers

  • SOILS, SEC 1 • SOIL ORGANIC MATTER DYNAMICS AND NUTRIENT CYCLING • RESEARCH ARTICLE
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Abstract

Purpose

The establishment of geochemical baselines is essential for accurate evaluation of the present state of surface environments. In this study, normalization procedures (NP), which can improve the explanation of the natural variation of elements, were conducted using geochemical common factors (GCF) and soil organic matter (SOM) as normalizers to define the geochemical baselines of soil trace elements.

Materials and methods

Soil samples (n = 345) were collected in Luhe County, Jiangsu, China, a county with a complex geologic setting and intensive anthropogenic influence. Conservative elements, Al, Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, and Ti; trace elements, As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn; and SOM were measured. Normalization procedures were conducted using multiple linear regressions between soil trace elements and SOM and GCFs, acquired from factor analysis of the soil major elements. Normalization procedures using univariate linear regressions between soil trace elements and conservative elements Al, Fe, and Ti were also conducted for comparison.

Results and discussion

Comparison of NPs using GCFs and SOM as normalizers with NPs, which use single conservative elements as normalizers, shows that the former is more accurate than the latter for As, Pb, and Zn and is as accurate for Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, and Ni, when the most appropriate single conservative element is chosen. Small-scale geochemical baselines in the county are significantly different from regional-scale geochemical baselines for Jiangsu Province, China.

Conclusions

The application of regional-scale geochemical baselines at small scales may lead to estimation errors in determining anomalies and assessing environments. Baselines obtained from the NPs using GCFs and SOM as normalizers are more accurate.

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Abbreviations

CV:

Coefficient of variation

GCF:

Geochemical common factor

JRGB:

Jiangsu regional geochemical baselines

NP:

Normalization procedure

SD:

Standard deviation

SOM:

Soil organic matter

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Acknowledgments

Funding is provided by the Natural Science Foundation of China (40601039), Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK2009340), and the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (KZCX2-YW-409).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Soil Environment and Pollution Remediation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China

    Zhigang Wang, Yongcun Zhao, Biao Huang & Weixia Sun

  2. Soil and Water Conservation Department, Changjiang River Scientific Research Institute, Wuhan, 430010, People’s Republic of China

    Zhigang Wang

  3. College of Tourism and Environmental Science, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, 710062, People’s Republic of China

    Jeremy Landon Darilek

  4. Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100039, People’s Republic of China

    Zhigang Wang & Biao Huang

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  1. Zhigang Wang
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  2. Jeremy Landon Darilek
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  3. Yongcun Zhao
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  4. Biao Huang
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  5. Weixia Sun
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Correspondence to Yongcun Zhao.

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Responsible editor: Chris Johnson

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Wang, Z., Darilek, J.L., Zhao, Y. et al. Defining soil geochemical baselines at small scales using geochemical common factors and soil organic matter as normalizers. J Soils Sediments 11, 3–14 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-010-0269-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-010-0269-4

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