Spatial Analysis of Soil Trace Element Contaminants in Urban Public Open Space, Perth, Western Australia

Public recreation areas in cities may be constructed on land which has been contaminated by various processes over the history of urbanisation. Charles Veryard and Smith's Lake Reserves are adjacent parklands in Perth, Western Australia with a history of horticulture, waste disposal and other potential sources of contamination. Surface soil and soil profiles in the Reserves were sampled systematically and analysed for multiple major and trace elements. Spatial analysis was performed using interpolation and Local Moran's I to define geochemical zones which were confirmed by means comparison and principal components analyses. The degree of contamination of surface soil in the Reserves with As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn was low. Greater concentrations of As, Cu, Pb, and Zn were present at depth in some soil profiles, probably related to historical waste disposal in the Reserves. The results show distinct advantages to using spatial statistics at the site investigation scale, and for measuring multiple elements not just potential contaminants.

Automated summary

The study found that the surface soil contamination level was low in the Charles Veryard and Smith's Lake Reserves in Perth, but higher concentrations of As, Cu, Pb, and Zn were found at depth in some soil profiles, possibly related to historical waste disposal. The results show the advantages of using spatial statistics for site investigations and measuring multiple elements beyond just potential contaminants.