Redistribution and isotope fractionation of endogenous Cd in soil profiles with geogenic Cd enrichment

The concentration and speciation of endogenous cadmium (Cd) in soil systems derived from parent materials is continuously altered by rock-soil-plant interactions. Previous studies on the distribution of Cd primarily focused on surface soil at regional scale. However, it lacks a novel approach to provide a new perspective on dynamics and redistribution of Cd in soil profile. Therefore, this study tries to establish the linkage between isotope fractionation and environmental processes of Cd in soil profiles with geogenic Cd enrichment based on Cd isotopes. High Cd concentrations were observed in the profile from forest at accumulation zone and the one from farmland at ridge in a rural area, southwest China. Soil erosion and deposition substantially influence the vertical distribution of total Cd in soil from the accumulation zone. Accordingly, distinct Cd isotope compositions were observed in different layers (delta Cd-114/110: -0.087 parts per thousand to -0.066 parts per thousand vs -0.325 parts per thousand to -0.056 parts per thousand). Mineral transformation, pedogenesis and biological activities controlled the dynamics and redistribution of Cd. The mobility of Cd increased during weathering processes, with similar to 40 % to 60 % of Cd residing in exchangeable fraction in the surface layers. Biological activity is a vital factor that drives Cd isotope fractionation in soil, resulting in depletion of heavy Cd isotopes in surface layers of the studied farmland profile. Contrasting fractionation effects were observed in profiles from forest and farmland due to the variance in soil-plant Cd cycling. Our study revealed the processes that control dynamics and redistribution of endogenous Cd in soil profiles, and proved that Cd isotope is a useful tool to investigate the bio-geochemical processes of Cd in soil systems.

Automated summary

Previous studies on the distribution of Cd mainly focused on surface soil at regional scale, while this study established a new perspective on the dynamics and redistribution of Cd in soil profiles based on Cd isotopes. The study revealed the effects of mineral transformation, pedogenesis, and biological activity on the dynamics and redistribution of Cd in soil.