ABSTRACT
EDTA - extractable natural content of heavy metals in the Aconcagua Valley soils

Sergio González M.1
 

Natural contents of the 0.05 M EDTA-extractable fraction of some heavy metals from the top layer of alluvial Aconcagua Valley soils were measured.
After sampling and analysing 19 alluvial soil samples, coming out from different places of the valley, the following ranges of concentrations, average values and standard deviations, expressed in mg/kg soil, were determined:

Cu = 34.7 - 81.8, 55.2, and 14.3, respectively;
Pb = 8.8 - 89.6, 33.8, and 23.6, respectively; and
Zn = 3.5 - 66.7, 24.1, and 17.7, respectively

It seems that the EDTA-extractable heavy metal contents do not obey to any geographic distribution patterns, as no significant association could be established between both variables. Neither evidences of the influence of residues from copper mining discharges into the Aconcagua river water on the heavy metal contents in soils were detected.

Keywords:
1 Estación Experimental La Platina (INIA), Casilla 439, Correo 3, Santiago, Chile.