Increasingly Distant from Eden-a Look at the Soils of Protected Areas Using Ecotoxicological Tests and Chemical Analysis

On the basis of the assumption that legally protected areas are created to maintain environmental quality that, in turn, is indispensable for quality of life, this study aims to evaluate the soil conditions in protected areas that are located near urban regions by using ecotoxicological assays and chemical analysis. The study was carried out using surface soil samples collected from seven protected areas in southern Brazil. For the protected area to be considered clean, the results of the ecotoxicological tests should be within the criteria accepted for negative control according to standardized protocols, and the concentration of chemical elements should be below the maximum levels allowed by Brazilian law. On the basis of the criteria adopted for ecotoxicological assays and chemical analysis, soil from only two of the seven protected areas (28.6%) met the criteria for being considered clean. This probably reflects the influence of anthropogenic activities within the protected areas, demonstrating drawbacks of delimitation and management. The strategy used in this study could be used to assess the anthropogenic impact on protected areas in other parts of the world.