›› 2019, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (12): 2064-2072.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-1524.2019.12.16

• Environmental Science • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Migration and accumulation of metal elements during formation of soils derived from different parent rocks in subtropical zone

XU Yingfei1, ZHANG Gengmiao2, ZHANG Lijun3, ZHANG Mingkui1,*   

  1. 1. College of Environment and Resources, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China;
    2. Agricultural Technology Extension Center of Zhuji City, Zhuji 311800, China;
    3. Pingyang County Agricultural and Rural Bureau, Pingyang 325400, China
  • Received:2019-08-12 Online:2019-12-25 Published:2019-12-25

Abstract: To understand the accumulation characteristics of heavy metals and other elements in soil profiles during weathering of different rocks and soil formation, five types of in situ soil profiles developed from basalt, granite, shale, limestone and carbonaceous shale, respectively, were selected in Zhejiang Province, and both genetic horizon soil samples and bedrock samples were collected for analyzing the total composition of major elements. The leaching and accumulation characteristics of soil heavy metals and other elements during soil formation were analyzed by mass balance method with stable element zirconium as reference. The results showed that the leaching and accumulation of the heavy metals in limestone-developed soil profiles were obviously different from those from other parent rocks. The leaching of heavy metals from limestone to soil was obvious, and most of heavy metals and other elements were enriched during the process of soil formation. Shale-and carbonaceous shale-derived soils were not enriched by heavy metals, and contents of the heavy metals in the soils were close to or lower than those of their parent rocks. However, because of the high background of heavy metals in parent rocks, the soils derived from carbonaceous shale contained higher heavy metals. Because the weathering degree of soils derived from basalt and granite was higher than that of shale and carbonaceous shale, the leaching of Si, Ca, K, Cr, Cu, Zn, Hg, Ni and Co in the former was higher than that in the latter. The average leaching percentages of heavy metals in the process of soil formation decreased in the order of Hg>As>Cu>Zn>Cd>Ni>Co>Pb >Cr, and the stability of Cr and Pb was the highest. In most cases, the leaching percentages of elements decreased from surface soil to parent material. Cd enrichment and high leaching during formation of limestone-derived soil might be the main causes of cadmium accumulation in soil of limestone distribution area.

Key words: parent rock, soil profile, heavy metals, enrichment, leaching

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