Environmental Geochemistry and Health 1993 15(1) page 15
Cadmium contents of cultivated soils exposed to contamination in Poland R6za Uminska Institute of Agricultural Medicine, 2 Jaczewskiego Str., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Abstract
Cadmium was measured in soils limed with industrial solid wastes, in cultivated lands located near waste yards and in soils of allotment gardens exposed to contamination. The median level and range of cadmium in soils of varying exposure to contamination was respectively: 0.3 mg kg-1 and 0.01-107 mg kg-1, 0.2 mg kg-1 and 0.02-2,198 mg kg-1 , 0.4 mg kg-1 and 0.05-161 mg kg-1 . Cadmium levels exceeded the value of 3 mg kg-1 considered permissible for arable soils in the samples of soils limed with wastes from the chemical industry (2.4%), the mining industry and metallurgy sites (2.1%), in 12.4% samples of soils located in the neighbourhood of industrial waste storage yards and in 17.2% samples of soils from allotment gardens located on lands formerly used for waste storage.
Introduction
Contamination of soils with cadmium may create a serious health problem as this element is highly toxic. Plants accumulate cadmium, especially in conditions of great acidification of the soil. In this way cadmium may be transferred into the food chain through vegetables grains and animal feeds. Moreover, in small children crawling and engaging in mouthing activity, cadmium in soil dust particles may enter the alimentary tract. Taking into account increasing acidification of soils in Poland, it was thought advisable to d e t e r m i n e the levels of soil cadmium in urban-industrial areas. The investigations were carried out in order to evaluate risk to populations exposed to contaminated soils. Methodology The studies were carried out by the laboratories of Regional Sanitary and Epidemiologic Stations under the supervision of the Institute of Agricultural Medicine in Lublin. The levels of cadmium were estimated both in fertilisers and in soils. Generally the following materials were subject to examination: (1) Industrial solid wastes used for soil liming, including 445 Samples from 59 plants of mining and metallurgy, chemical industry, power industry, cement and lime producing industry. (2) Phosphatic fertilisers made in Poland, totalling 69 samples from 9 plants. (3) Sewage sludges used in agriculture, totalling 129 samples from 21 communal sewage-treatment plants. (4) Soils limed with solid wastes of mining industry
and metallurgy (1,512), chemical industry (169), power industry (14), and cement and lime producing industry (180), totalling 1,875 samples. (5) Cultivated soils located in the neighbourhood of industrial waste yards (1,150), communal waste yards (501), and wastes stored temporarily for soil liming (607), totalling 2,258 samples. (6) Soils of allotment gardens located close to arterial roads (2,477), in the industrial zones (809), close to waste yards (176), and of gardens located on the lands formerly used for waste storage yards (14), totalling 3,476 samples. Cadmium was determined in the samples of fertilising materials and of soils by the method of atomic absorption spectrometry, after digestion of samples with perchloric acid. Cadmium was chelated in ammonium pyrrolydine dithiocarbamate (APDC) and extracted into methylisobutylketone (MIBK). Inter-laboratory studies carried out with the cooperation of Regional Sanitary and Epidemiologic Stations allowed us to determine the relative error of cadmium determination (23.8%). C o n c e n t r a t i o n s of cadmiUm found in c o n t a m i n a t e d s o i l s were c o m p a r e d with non-contaminated Polish soils (0.1 mg kg-1), with soils of areas not much exposed to the influence of industrial emissions (0.3 mg kg-!), and with the level adopted in West Germany as permissible for arable soils (3 mg kg-1). The results of the studies concerning industrial wastes designed for soil liming and agriculturally used sewage sludges were respectively compared with the value suggested by the Institute of Soil Science and Cultivation of Plants in Pulawy (10 mg kg-1), and with the value adopted for sludges in Austria (10 mg kg-l).
16
Cadmium contents of cultivated soils
Table 1 Cadmium content of fectilisers. Kind of fertilisers
Lime fertilisers substitutes: Solid wastes of: Mining and metallurgy Chemical industry Power industry Cement and lime producing industry Phosphatic fertilisers Sewage sludges
No. of samples
25
Percentile 50
75
Range of Cd content (mgkg -1 DW)
232 122 7
2.5 0.7 1.0
8.1 5.2 1.3
57.2 9.0 24.0
Cadmium contents of cultivated soils exposed to contamination in Poland R6za Uminska Institute of Agricultural Medicine, 2 Jaczewskiego Str., 20-950 Lublin, Poland
Abstract
Cadmium was measured in soils limed with industrial solid wastes, in cultivated lands located near waste yards and in soils of allotment gardens exposed to contamination. The median level and range of cadmium in soils of varying exposure to contamination was respectively: 0.3 mg kg-1 and 0.01-107 mg kg-1, 0.2 mg kg-1 and 0.02-2,198 mg kg-1 , 0.4 mg kg-1 and 0.05-161 mg kg-1 . Cadmium levels exceeded the value of 3 mg kg-1 considered permissible for arable soils in the samples of soils limed with wastes from the chemical industry (2.4%), the mining industry and metallurgy sites (2.1%), in 12.4% samples of soils located in the neighbourhood of industrial waste storage yards and in 17.2% samples of soils from allotment gardens located on lands formerly used for waste storage.
Introduction
Contamination of soils with cadmium may create a serious health problem as this element is highly toxic. Plants accumulate cadmium, especially in conditions of great acidification of the soil. In this way cadmium may be transferred into the food chain through vegetables grains and animal feeds. Moreover, in small children crawling and engaging in mouthing activity, cadmium in soil dust particles may enter the alimentary tract. Taking into account increasing acidification of soils in Poland, it was thought advisable to d e t e r m i n e the levels of soil cadmium in urban-industrial areas. The investigations were carried out in order to evaluate risk to populations exposed to contaminated soils. Methodology The studies were carried out by the laboratories of Regional Sanitary and Epidemiologic Stations under the supervision of the Institute of Agricultural Medicine in Lublin. The levels of cadmium were estimated both in fertilisers and in soils. Generally the following materials were subject to examination: (1) Industrial solid wastes used for soil liming, including 445 Samples from 59 plants of mining and metallurgy, chemical industry, power industry, cement and lime producing industry. (2) Phosphatic fertilisers made in Poland, totalling 69 samples from 9 plants. (3) Sewage sludges used in agriculture, totalling 129 samples from 21 communal sewage-treatment plants. (4) Soils limed with solid wastes of mining industry
and metallurgy (1,512), chemical industry (169), power industry (14), and cement and lime producing industry (180), totalling 1,875 samples. (5) Cultivated soils located in the neighbourhood of industrial waste yards (1,150), communal waste yards (501), and wastes stored temporarily for soil liming (607), totalling 2,258 samples. (6) Soils of allotment gardens located close to arterial roads (2,477), in the industrial zones (809), close to waste yards (176), and of gardens located on the lands formerly used for waste storage yards (14), totalling 3,476 samples. Cadmium was determined in the samples of fertilising materials and of soils by the method of atomic absorption spectrometry, after digestion of samples with perchloric acid. Cadmium was chelated in ammonium pyrrolydine dithiocarbamate (APDC) and extracted into methylisobutylketone (MIBK). Inter-laboratory studies carried out with the cooperation of Regional Sanitary and Epidemiologic Stations allowed us to determine the relative error of cadmium determination (23.8%). C o n c e n t r a t i o n s of cadmiUm found in c o n t a m i n a t e d s o i l s were c o m p a r e d with non-contaminated Polish soils (0.1 mg kg-1), with soils of areas not much exposed to the influence of industrial emissions (0.3 mg kg-!), and with the level adopted in West Germany as permissible for arable soils (3 mg kg-1). The results of the studies concerning industrial wastes designed for soil liming and agriculturally used sewage sludges were respectively compared with the value suggested by the Institute of Soil Science and Cultivation of Plants in Pulawy (10 mg kg-1), and with the value adopted for sludges in Austria (10 mg kg-l).
16
Cadmium contents of cultivated soils
Table 1 Cadmium content of fectilisers. Kind of fertilisers
Lime fertilisers substitutes: Solid wastes of: Mining and metallurgy Chemical industry Power industry Cement and lime producing industry Phosphatic fertilisers Sewage sludges
No. of samples
25
Percentile 50
75
Range of Cd content (mgkg -1 DW)
232 122 7
2.5 0.7 1.0
8.1 5.2 1.3
57.2 9.0 24.0
