TY - JOUR
T1 - Background levels of trace and ultra-trace elements in soils of Japan
AU - Yamasaki, Shin Ichi
AU - Akira, Takeda
AU - Nanzyo, Masami
AU - Taniyama, Ichiro
AU - Nakai, Makoto
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments. This research was supported by the Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Cooperation (now Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute). We are grateful to Prof. T. Yoshida of Tohoku University, Faculty of Science, for the information on geostandards and for his valuable comments. We also thank Hazaka Plant Research Center for the use of HP-4500 and ThermoQuest, KK for technical and financial support.
PY - 2001/12
Y1 - 2001/12
N2 - Five hundred and fourteen soil samples collected from 78 sites in Japan were analyzed for their contents of trace and ultra-trace elements. We estimated the background levels (natural abundance) of 57 elements in soils. The concentration ranges were so wide that the ratios of the highest values to the lowest values were more than 100 for all the elements, with the exception of Be, Ga, Mo, Ag, In, Sn, and Ba. While the concentrations of the first transition elements (21Sc to 30Zn in atomic numbers) were higher than the concentration of the other elements, those of lighter (3Li and 4Be) and heavier elements tended to decrease, with an increase or decrease of atomic numbers, with the apparent exception of Pb, Th, and U. Concentrations of elements with even atomic numbers were, in most of the cases, higher than the concentrations of both adjacent elements with odd atomic numbers. Frequency distribution of most of the elements was strongly positively skewed. Markedly positive correlation coefficients (r>0.9) were observed among the elements within the same group in the Periodic Table in many combinations. The dendrogram obtained by cluster analysis showed that the occurrence and distribution of the elements in soils were mostly controlled by the chemical properties of each element, rather than by the nature and properties of individual soil samples. The total contents of the elements in soils were strongly dependent on the chemical composition of the parent rocks from which respective soils were derived.
AB - Five hundred and fourteen soil samples collected from 78 sites in Japan were analyzed for their contents of trace and ultra-trace elements. We estimated the background levels (natural abundance) of 57 elements in soils. The concentration ranges were so wide that the ratios of the highest values to the lowest values were more than 100 for all the elements, with the exception of Be, Ga, Mo, Ag, In, Sn, and Ba. While the concentrations of the first transition elements (21Sc to 30Zn in atomic numbers) were higher than the concentration of the other elements, those of lighter (3Li and 4Be) and heavier elements tended to decrease, with an increase or decrease of atomic numbers, with the apparent exception of Pb, Th, and U. Concentrations of elements with even atomic numbers were, in most of the cases, higher than the concentrations of both adjacent elements with odd atomic numbers. Frequency distribution of most of the elements was strongly positively skewed. Markedly positive correlation coefficients (r>0.9) were observed among the elements within the same group in the Periodic Table in many combinations. The dendrogram obtained by cluster analysis showed that the occurrence and distribution of the elements in soils were mostly controlled by the chemical properties of each element, rather than by the nature and properties of individual soil samples. The total contents of the elements in soils were strongly dependent on the chemical composition of the parent rocks from which respective soils were derived.
KW - Background level
KW - Trace and ultra-trace elements
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U2 - 10.1080/00380768.2001.10408440
DO - 10.1080/00380768.2001.10408440
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0035683288
VL - 47
SP - 755
EP - 765
JO - Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
JF - Soil Science and Plant Nutrition
SN - 0038-0768
IS - 4
ER -