The variations of aluminium species in mountainous forest soils and its implications to soil acidification

Aluminium (Al) speciation is a characteristic that can be used as a tool for describing the soil acidification process. The question that was answered is how tree species (beech vs spruce) and type of soil horizon affect Al speciation. Our hypotesis is that spruce and beech forest vegetation are able to modify the chemical characteristics of organic horizon, hence the content of Al species. Moreover, these characteristics are seasonally dependent. To answer these questions, a detailed chromatographic speciation of Al in forest soils under contrasting tree species was performed. The Jizera Mountains area (Czech Republic) was chosen as a representative mountainous soil ecosystem. A basic forestry survey was performed on the investigated area. Soil and precipitation samples (throughfall, stemflow) were collected under both beech and spruce stands at monthly intervals from April to November during the years 2008–2011. Total aluminium content and Al speciation, pH, and dissolved organic carbon were determined in aqueous soil extracts and in precipitation samples. We found that the most important factors affecting the chemistry of soils, hence content of the Al species, are soil horizons and vegetation cover. pH strongly affects the amount of Al species under both forests. Fermentation (F) and humified (H) organic horizons contain a higher content of water extractable Al and Al³⁺ compared to organo-mineral (A) and mineral horizons (B). With increasing soil profile depth, the amount of water extractable Al, Al³⁺ and moisture decreases. The prevailing water-extractable species of Al in all studied soils and profiles under both spruce and beech forests were organically bound monovalent Al species. Distinct seasonal variations in organic and mineral soil horizons were found under both spruce and beech forests. Maximum concentrations of water-extractable Al and Al³⁺ were determined in the summer, and the lowest in spring.     

An in-depth human health risk assessment of potentially toxic elements in highly polluted riverine soils,Příbram (Czech Republic)

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Environmental pollution by potentially toxic element (PTE) and the associated health risks in humans are increasingly becoming a global challenge. The...     

Multi-geochemical background comparison and the identification of the best normalizer for the estimation of PTE contamination in agricultural soil

Environmental Geochemistry and Health - Identifying a suitable geochemical background level (GBL) and an appropriate normalizer is imperative for ensuring soil quality, health, and security. The...     

Analysis of emergency situations at municipal solid waste landfills

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - This work focuses on the issue of emergency prevention in the operation of municipal solid waste landfills. In this work, an emergency is...