Cadmium in UK soils and crops: Long-term trends and their implications

Conference · Sat Dec 31 04:00:00 EST 1994

OSTI ID:40126

Nicholson, F A; Jones, K C ^[1]; Johnston, A E ^[2]

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1. Lancaster Univ. (United Kingdom). Inst. of Environmental and Biological Sciences
2. Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden (United Kingdom). Soils and Crop Production Division

Anthropogenic sources, such as atmospheric deposition and superphosphate fertilizers, have played such an important role in contributing to the cadmium burden of agroecosystems that the European Commission is currently considering moves to limit the addition of Cd in superphosphate fertilizers to agricultural land. A number of studies have already been undertaken to establish long-term trends in soil and crop Cd levels using archived samples from the experimental plots at Rothamsted Experimental Station in the UK. Atmospheric deposition has been shown to have increased the Cd content of the top 23 cm of these soils by 30--50% over the last 100 years. Cd has also accumulated in acid soils with 5% organic matter which have received superphosphate or farmyard manure additions. This retrospective study examined trends in the Cd content of herbage from the Park Grass Experiment from 1861 to 1992. The results indicate that the long-term use of superphosphates has increased the Cd content of herbage grown on these acid soils; however, the regular application of lime to increase soil pH was a very effective method of controlling the uptake, both on plots which received superphosphate additions and on those which received Cd only from atmospheric deposition.

• OSTI ID: 40126
• Report Number(s): CONF-9410273--
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
56 BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE
APPLIED STUDIES
BIOLOGICAL ACCUMULATION
CADMIUM
CONTAMINATION
CROPS
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
LAND POLLUTION
POLLUTION SOURCES
ROOT ABSORPTION
SOILS
UNITED KINGDOM