S. V. Selyukova
Center of Agrochemical Service “Belgorodsky”, ul. Shchorsa, 8, Belgorod, 308027, Russian Federation
Abstract. Elements of the first hazard group, the content of which is controlled not only in the soil, but also in food products – lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic – have a strong negative effect on living organisms. The purpose of the studies was to determine the sources of their entry into agrocenoses, as well as the characteristics of their accumulation in soil and plants. Heavy metals enter the soil and then living organisms as a result of atmospheric emissions, industrial wastewater discharges, the use of fertilizers, with heaps of ash, slag, ores, sludge, including wastewater sludge. Pollution is often localized. The recorded concentrations of arsenic in the soil in the areas of enterprises for the extraction of non-ferrous metals are up to 900 mg/kg. The content of heavy metals in the soil is determined, as a rule, by their amount in the parent rock and varies depending on the granulometric composition and the provision of the soil with organic matter. The average content of lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic in various soils of the world is 27 mg/kg, 0.41 mg/kg, 0.07 mg/kg, and 6.83 mg/kg, respectively. Lead, cadmium, and mercury being distributed through the soil profile are accumulated mainly in the humus horizon that is associated with their biophilic accumulation. Conversely, the arsenic content increases with depth. Plants, absorbing heavy metals from the soil, accumulate them in their tissues, mainly in roots, stems, and leaves. The average content of lead in corn grain is 0.31 mg/kg, which is almost 5 times less than in straw (1.52 mg/kg). The average content of mercury in corn grain is estimated at 0.0034 mg/kg; of arsenic – at 0.019 mg/kg; of cadmium – at 0.0036 mg/kg.
Keywords: lead; cadmium; mercury; arsenic; heavy metals; soil; plants.
Author Details: S. V. Selyukova, Cand. Sc. (Biol.), head of laboratory (e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.).
For citation: Selyukova SV. [Heavy metals in agrocenoses]. Dostizheniya nauki i tekhniki APK. 2020;34(8):85-93. Russian. doi: 10.24411/0235-2451-2020-10815.