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Bioavailability as a Factor in Risk Assessment of Metal-Contaminated Soil

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Abstract

To accurately assess the risks of metal contaminants in soil, the bioavailability of the metals need to be considered. The bioavailable concentrations determined from homogenized, dried soils are not necessarily representative of in situ conditions of undisturbed field soils. In this study, we investigated the accumulation of metals in wheat (Triticum aestivum) grown in undisturbed contaminated (Pb, Zn, Cu, and Cd) soil cores, in relation to total soil, leachate, and diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT)-labile metal concentrations. Despite the fact that many of the samples contained metal concentrations above guideline values, no significant effects were observed on wheat growth. The bioavailability of metals in the most contaminated samples was estimated to be medium to low, possibly explaining why few effects were observed in the bioassay. For Cu, Zn, and especially for Pb, leachate and DGT-labile concentrations were better predictors of uptake by wheat than total concentrations based on correlations. It is suggested that DGT and leachate concentrations in combination with bioassays in undisturbed soil cores can be used to account for metal bioavailability in soil. These tests could be used during the ecological risk screening stage, in conjunction with total concentrations and guideline values to better estimate receptor exposure.

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Acknowledgments

Funding for this project was received from The Sweden America Foundation. Access to the contaminated sites was granted by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada. The authors thank the K.C. Irving Environmental Science Centre at Acadia University for providing laboratory space.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Box 461, 405 30, Göteborg, Sweden

    E. Emily V. Chapman & Göran Dave

  2. Department of Chemistry, Acadia University, 6 University Avenue, Wolfville, Nova Scotia, B4P 2R6, Canada

    John D. Murimboh

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  1. E. Emily V. Chapman
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  2. Göran Dave
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  3. John D. Murimboh
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Correspondence to E. Emily V. Chapman.

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Chapman, E.E.V., Dave, G. & Murimboh, J.D. Bioavailability as a Factor in Risk Assessment of Metal-Contaminated Soil. Water Air Soil Pollut 223, 2907–2922 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-012-1074-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-012-1074-z

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