Soil, Site, and Management Factors Affecting Cadmium Concentrations in Cacao-Growing Soils

Soil contamination by potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs) such as Cadmium (Cd), is a major environmental concern because of its potential implications to human health. Cacao-based products have been identified as food sources with relatively high Cd contents. Here, we assessed Cd concentrations...

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Main Authors: Scaccabarozzi, Daniela, Castillo, Luis, Aromatisi, Andrea, Milne, Lynne, Búllon Castillo, Adolfo, Muñoz-Rojas, Miriam
Format: Journal Article
Published: MDPI AG 2020
Online Access:http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100570
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81431
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author Scaccabarozzi, Daniela
Castillo, Luis
Aromatisi, Andrea
Milne, Lynne
Búllon Castillo, Adolfo
Muñoz-Rojas, Miriam
author_facet Scaccabarozzi, Daniela
Castillo, Luis
Aromatisi, Andrea
Milne, Lynne
Búllon Castillo, Adolfo
Muñoz-Rojas, Miriam
author_sort Scaccabarozzi, Daniela
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Soil contamination by potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs) such as Cadmium (Cd), is a major environmental concern because of its potential implications to human health. Cacao-based products have been identified as food sources with relatively high Cd contents. Here, we assessed Cd concentrations of cacao-growing soils in four major agricultural regions with contrasting climates in Peru, one of the main exporters of cacao products worldwide. At each study site (n = 40) a broad range of potential factors affecting Cd concentration in soils, i.e., site, soil and management, were evaluated. Concentrations of Cd ranged between 1.1–3.2 mg kg−1. Mean values per region were below 2.7 mg kg−1, usually established as upper-limit for non-polluted soils. Cadmium concentrations were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in sites at higher elevations and in a temperate, drier climate. Cadmium correlated positively with pH (r = 0.57; p < 0.05) and was higher (p < 0.001) in alluvial sediments and Leptosols. Management factors (cacao variety, cultivation year, management practices) and agroecology did not affect Cd concentrations directly. Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering a broad range of both natural and anthropogenic factors to evaluate Cd concentrations in cacao-growing soils and contribute to effective and sustainable cacao production by improving land management and planning.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-814312021-01-07T07:46:47Z Soil, Site, and Management Factors Affecting Cadmium Concentrations in Cacao-Growing Soils Scaccabarozzi, Daniela Castillo, Luis Aromatisi, Andrea Milne, Lynne Búllon Castillo, Adolfo Muñoz-Rojas, Miriam Soil contamination by potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs) such as Cadmium (Cd), is a major environmental concern because of its potential implications to human health. Cacao-based products have been identified as food sources with relatively high Cd contents. Here, we assessed Cd concentrations of cacao-growing soils in four major agricultural regions with contrasting climates in Peru, one of the main exporters of cacao products worldwide. At each study site (n = 40) a broad range of potential factors affecting Cd concentration in soils, i.e., site, soil and management, were evaluated. Concentrations of Cd ranged between 1.1–3.2 mg kg−1. Mean values per region were below 2.7 mg kg−1, usually established as upper-limit for non-polluted soils. Cadmium concentrations were significantly (p < 0.001) higher in sites at higher elevations and in a temperate, drier climate. Cadmium correlated positively with pH (r = 0.57; p < 0.05) and was higher (p < 0.001) in alluvial sediments and Leptosols. Management factors (cacao variety, cultivation year, management practices) and agroecology did not affect Cd concentrations directly. Overall, this study highlights the importance of considering a broad range of both natural and anthropogenic factors to evaluate Cd concentrations in cacao-growing soils and contribute to effective and sustainable cacao production by improving land management and planning. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81431 10.3390/agronomy10060806 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100570 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ MDPI AG fulltext
spellingShingle Scaccabarozzi, Daniela
Castillo, Luis
Aromatisi, Andrea
Milne, Lynne
Búllon Castillo, Adolfo
Muñoz-Rojas, Miriam
Soil, Site, and Management Factors Affecting Cadmium Concentrations in Cacao-Growing Soils
title Soil, Site, and Management Factors Affecting Cadmium Concentrations in Cacao-Growing Soils
title_full Soil, Site, and Management Factors Affecting Cadmium Concentrations in Cacao-Growing Soils
title_fullStr Soil, Site, and Management Factors Affecting Cadmium Concentrations in Cacao-Growing Soils
title_full_unstemmed Soil, Site, and Management Factors Affecting Cadmium Concentrations in Cacao-Growing Soils
title_short Soil, Site, and Management Factors Affecting Cadmium Concentrations in Cacao-Growing Soils
title_sort soil, site, and management factors affecting cadmium concentrations in cacao-growing soils
url http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE180100570
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/81431