TITLE:
Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soils of Constanza, Jarabacoa, San José de Ocoa, Azua, Barahona and San Juan de la Maguana, Dominican Republic, 2022
AUTHORS:
Ramón Delanoy, Carime Matos-Espinosa, Yamilesa Herrera de los Santos
KEYWORDS:
Soil, Heavy Metals, Constanza, Azua, X-Ray Fluorescence
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.12 No.1,
January
16,
2024
ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to establish a baseline for future
studies that aim to determine possible contamination from human, agricultural
and industrial activities. As well as the determination of the indices of
environmental or geological contamination and enrichment factors of heavy
metals Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg and Pb in agricultural soils of Constanza,
Jarabacoa, Rancho Arriba and San José de Ocoa (SJO), municipalities located in
the valleys of the Central mountain range of the Dominican Republic. The
determination of the concentrations of heavy metals was carried out using the
X-ray Fluorescence technique. Just like in Azua, San Juan de la Maguana (SJM) y
Barahona in the southwest. Producer municipalities of vegetables, rice, beans,
corn, melon, watermelon, tomato, banana, avocado, sugar cane and fodder for
cattle. The concentration of 160 mg·kg-1 Probable Effect Level (PEL)
of Cr according to the SQuiRTs table (USEPA-NOAA) for agricultural soils, were
exceeded in 50% of the samples in SJM, SJO, Jarabacoa and Constanza; in
Barahona and Azua by 20%. The PEL of 42.8 mg·kg-1 of the Ni was
higher in more than 50% of the samples from SJM, Azua, Barahona and Jarabacoa;
in SJO and Constanza at 35%. In the case of Cu with a PEL of 108 mg·kg-1 in SJO and Constanza, 5% of the samples exceeded its, in the other areas the
concentrations were lower. Zn, As and Pb did not manage to exceed their
respective PEL.