Assessment of mobile and potential mobile trace elements extractability in calcareous soils using different extracting agents

Understanding trace elements mobility in soils, extracting agents, and their relationships with soil components, are essential for predicting their movement in soil profile and availability to plants. A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate extractability of cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and zinc (Zn) from calcareous soils utilizing various extracting agents to be specific CaCl2, DTPA, EDTA, HNO3, MgCl2, NaNO3, NH4NO3, and NH4OAc. Cluster analysis indicated that DTPA and NH4OAc, HNO3 and EDTA, and MgCl2 and NH4NO3 extracting agents yielded comparative values, whereas NaNO3 and CaCl2 have shown different behavior than other extracting agents for all studied trace elements. The speciation of extracted trace elements in solutions indicated that in the CaCl2, NaNO3, NH4NO3, and MgCl2 extracting agents most extracted Cd, Co, Ni, Zn, and part of Cu were as free ions and may be re-adsorbed on soils, leading to lower extractability, whereas, in the case of HNO3 extracting agent, the likelihood of re-adsorption of trace elements may be little. The results of speciation of trace elements using NH4OAc, DTPA, and EDTA extracting agents showed that Me-(Acetate)(3)(-), Me-(Acetate)(2)(aq), Me(DTPA)(3-), Me(EDTA)(2-), and MeH(EDTA)(-) complexes dominated in solutions indicating that the extracted trace elements may not be re-adsorbed on soils, leading to higher extractability. The results of this study are useful for short and long-term evaluations of trace elements mobility and further environmental impacts.