Heavy metals in soils and plants in mango orchards in Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil


Autoria(s): Silva,João Paulo Siqueira da; Nascimento,Clístenes Williams Araújo do; Biondi,Caroline Miranda; Cunha,Karina Patrícia Vieira da
Data(s)

01/08/2012

Resumo

The monitoring of heavy metal concentrations in areas under intensive agriculture is essential for the agricultural sustainability and food safety. This paper evaluates the total contents of heavy metals in soils and mango trees in orchards of different ages (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 16, 17, 19, and 26 years) in Petrolina, Pernambuco, Brazil. Soil samples were taken from the layers 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm, and mango leaves were collected in the growth stage. Areas of native vegetation (Caatinga) adjacent to the cultivated areas were used for comparison. The total concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, and Pb) were determined in soils and leaves. In general, mango cultivation led to Cu and Zn accumulation in the soil surface and to a reduction in the contents of Ni, Pb, Mn, and Fe in surface and subsurface. Since contamination by Cu, Zn, and Cr was detected, these areas must be monitored to prevent negative environmental impacts. For instance, the presence of Cr in mango tree leaves indicates the need to investigate the source of the element in these orchards. The management strategies of the different companies led to deficiency or excess of some metals in the evaluated areas. However, the Fe and Mn levels were adequate for the mineral nutrition of mango in all areas.

Formato

text/html

Identificador

http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-06832012000400028

Idioma(s)

en

Publicador

Sociedade Brasileira de Ciência do Solo

Fonte

Revista Brasileira de Ciência do Solo v.36 n.4 2012

Palavras-Chave #Trace elements #agricultural inputs #guiding values #contamination
Tipo

journal article