212 Environmental Geoscience; Geology and Health; Public Policy

Wednesday, 31 October 2007
1:30 PM - 5:30 PM

25-YEAR CHANGES IN AMOUNTS OF HEAVY METALS AND BASE CATIONS IN ORGANIC HORIZONS OF MID-ATLANTIC REGION FOREST SOILS

Paper number: 212-8
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 3:00 PM – 3:15 PM

Authors

Abstract

We repeated a study done in 1978-79 to determine if the amount of lead, copper, zinc, calcium, magnesium, and potassium had changed in 25 years in the organic horizons (forest floor) of the Mid-Atlantic Region of the U.S. We resampled the forest floor at 29 of the 34 original sites, and analyzed the samples on an ICP.

The data indicate that the amount of lead and zinc decreased, the amount of Cu and Ca did not change significantly, and the amount of Mg and K increased at these sites. Decreases in Pb and Zn are due to decreases in emissions of both elements. Increases in Mg and K are due to increases in forest floor mass.