Publication:
Evaluación de cadmio, cromo y plomo en suelos de potencial agrícola en la isla de Vieques
Evaluación de cadmio, cromo y plomo en suelos de potencial agrícola en la isla de Vieques
Authors
Sáez Rivera, Joel
Embargoed Until
Advisor
Muñoz, Miguel A.
College
College of Agricultural Sciences
Department
Department of Crops and Agro-Environmental Sciences
Degree Level
M.A.
Publisher
Date
2020-05-27
Abstract
Los metales pesados y elementos traza son de importancia en el medio ambiente por su trascendencia en la contaminación de suelos, éstos se encuentran en el suelo de manera natural o por acciones antropogénicas. Los problemas ambientales ocasionados por los metales pesados en los suelos están relacionados con su toxicidad cuando se acumulan o interactúan con algunas propiedades específicas como, por ejemplo; pH, materia orgánica (MO), capacidad de intercambio catiónico (CIC), entre otros, y se movilizan a través del perfil del suelo, agua y/o cultivos entrando a la cadena trófica, afectando la salud de los seres humanos. El propósito de este estudio fue evaluar el contenido de metales pesados plomo (Pb), cromo (Cr) y cadmio (Cd) en suelos de potencial agrícola en la isla de Vieques, Puerto Rico. Para esto se realizaron muestreos aleatorios en 19 predios de terrenos agrícolas a una profundidad de 15 cm. En estos predios encontramos tres series de suelos, Vieques del orden Inceptisol y Coamo y Descalabrado del orden Molisol. La extracción de los metales pesados se realizó por el método de digestión ácida de sedimentos 3052 de la EPA y se determinaron por espectrometría de emisión atómica (ICP). Los rangos obtenidos para cada metal pesado fueron; Pb (0.02 a 75.8 mg kg⁻¹), Cr (11.1 a 229 mg kg⁻¹) y Cd (0 a 4.94 mg kg⁻¹). Estos resultados indican que ninguno de los metales antes mencionados sobrepasa los límites máximos permisibles de contaminación según estipula la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA). En cuanto a las distancias de los muestreos al antiguo campo de tiro de La Marina, no se pudo determinar relación directa o indirecta entre las concentraciones de los metales y su distancia al campo de tiro.
Heavy metals and trace elements are important in the environment for their transcendence in soil pollution. They are found in the soil naturally or by anthropogenic activities. Environmental problems caused by heavy metals in soils are related to their toxicity when they accumulate or interact with some specific properties for example; pH, organic matter, cation exchange capacity, among others, and are mobilized through the soil profile, water, and crops entering the food chain, affecting the health of human beings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the content of the heavy metals Pb, Cr and Cd in agricultural soils in Vieques island. Random samples were taken in 19 agricultural fields at a depth of 15 cm in different regions of the island. In the fields evaluated, three soils series were present, Vieques of the Inceptisol order and Coamo and Descalabrado, of the Mollisols order. The heavy metals were extracted using the acid EPA sediment digestion method 3052 and analyzed by ICP. The ranges obtained for each heavy metal were: Pb (0.02 to 75.8 mg kg⁻¹), Cr (11.1 to 229 mg kg⁻¹) and Cd (0 to 4.94 mg kg⁻¹). These results indicate that none of the data exceed the maximum permissible contamination limits according to the EPA. Sampling distances to the former Navy shooting range could not determine direct or indirect relationship between metal concentrations and their distance to the shooting range.
Heavy metals and trace elements are important in the environment for their transcendence in soil pollution. They are found in the soil naturally or by anthropogenic activities. Environmental problems caused by heavy metals in soils are related to their toxicity when they accumulate or interact with some specific properties for example; pH, organic matter, cation exchange capacity, among others, and are mobilized through the soil profile, water, and crops entering the food chain, affecting the health of human beings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the content of the heavy metals Pb, Cr and Cd in agricultural soils in Vieques island. Random samples were taken in 19 agricultural fields at a depth of 15 cm in different regions of the island. In the fields evaluated, three soils series were present, Vieques of the Inceptisol order and Coamo and Descalabrado, of the Mollisols order. The heavy metals were extracted using the acid EPA sediment digestion method 3052 and analyzed by ICP. The ranges obtained for each heavy metal were: Pb (0.02 to 75.8 mg kg⁻¹), Cr (11.1 to 229 mg kg⁻¹) and Cd (0 to 4.94 mg kg⁻¹). These results indicate that none of the data exceed the maximum permissible contamination limits according to the EPA. Sampling distances to the former Navy shooting range could not determine direct or indirect relationship between metal concentrations and their distance to the shooting range.
Keywords
Vieques,
Suelos,
Metales pesados,
Plomo,
Cromo,
Cadmio
Suelos,
Metales pesados,
Plomo,
Cromo,
Cadmio
Usage Rights
All Rights Reserved / restricted to Campus
Persistent URL
Cite
Sáez Rivera, J. (2020). Evaluación de cadmio, cromo y plomo en suelos de potencial agrícola en la isla de Vieques [Thesis]. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11801/2659