Trace element concentrations and background values in the arid soils of Hormozgan Province of southern Iran

Trace element concentrations in soils of arid regions of southern Iran are described to assess the concentration ranges of selected elements in a variety of soils and rocks, and to evaluate the potential bioavailability of trace elements in relation to soil properties. The study area was classified into three sub-regions consisting of (1) shale, gypsum, and limestone (western part), (2) igneous rocks and limestone (northern part), and (3) sandstone and limestone (eastern and northeastern part). The gained background values of trace elements were used for evaluating the quality and degree of contamination with native and also with anthropogenic elements of studied soils. Some soil samples indicated a significant enrichment for Pb and Ni, with an enrichment factor (EF) of around 6.0. Soils have only been cultivated for few years compared to hundreds and thousands of years for many agricultural soils; therefore, there has been less crop removal. Furthermore, soils are not highly weathered because they are in an arid climate with low precipitation, which results in a slow rate of weathering. However, slight elemental differences between soil horizons indicated that most soils are poorly developed and also represented the similarity of trace element contents between soils and parent materials. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis.