Soil environmental quality related to different soil uses in a semiarid zone (Murcia SE Spain)

Abstract

Intensive agriculture and mining activi­ties are among the soil uses that cause soil contamination because of the accumula­tion of soluble salts, nutrients, heavy met­als, etc. and consequently a loss of soil quality. This study set out to assess the condition of some cultivated and unculti­vated soils in an area of Murcia (SE Spain), known to be partially affected by mine acid materials. The results confirm that the cited activities have lead to a loss of soil quality, limiting their future use. Higher soluble salt (Electrolytic Conduc­tivity: 3,3-1,9 dS m^-1), NO3 (126,5-51,1 mg kg^-1) and available P (29,6-2,4 mg kg^­1) concentrations were measured in the cultivated soils. In addition, many of the soil samples studied presented high levels of heavy metals which exceeded the val­ues usually taken as reference values: Cd: 10,2 mg kg^-1; Cu: 85,2 mg kg^-1; Mn: 2307,8 mg kg^-1; Pb: 6793,0 mg kg^-1 and Zn: 4610,0 mg kg^-1 .