Chromium, nickel and vanadium mobility in soils derived from fluvioglacial sands

The presented study was focused on soils developed from fluvioglacial sands from the Puszcza Borecka forest complex. The mobility of chromium, nickel and vanadium was evaluated with regard to litho- and pedogenic factors. The aim of the study was to determine with which soil constituents fractions of heavy metals are bound with particular attention drawn on the mobile fractions (F1 + F2). Heavy metal fractions in the soils were determined using the sequential extraction method of Tessier et al. The purpose of sequential extraction methods to soil samples provides relevant information about possible toxicity when they are discharged into the soil environment. Chromium, nickel, and vanadium occurred predominantly in the fraction bound with iron and manganese oxides and in the residual fraction, thus showed low mobility. With regard to mobility, the elements studied can be arranged as follows: V < Cr < Ni. The content of the mobile fractions depended on the soil texture. The influence of the rusting process on the distribution of the bioavailable fractions was observed in the soil profiles. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.