Integrated Approach for Quality Assessment of Technosols in Experimental Mesocosms

Pasquale Napoletano, Claudio Colombo, Erika Di Iorio, Valeria Memoli, Speranza Claudia Panico, Anna Gabriella Ruggiero, Lucia Santorufo, Giulia Maisto and Anna De Marco
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Pasquale Napoletano: Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Claudio Colombo: Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Erika Di Iorio: Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Food Sciences, University of Molise, 86100 Campobasso, Italy
Valeria Memoli: Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
Speranza Claudia Panico: Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
Anna Gabriella Ruggiero: Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
Lucia Santorufo: Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
Giulia Maisto: Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, 80126 Naples, Italy
Anna De Marco: Department of Pharmacy, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-20

Abstract: The assessment of Technosols quality in urban environments is pivotal for the maintenance of ecosystems impacted by human activities. The study was performed on Technosols constructed in experimental mesocosms in the suburban area of Naples (Southern Italy) to highlight changes in the main soil properties over eight years and to identify the most suitable indices at quality monitoring. In this study, several chemical, biological, and integrated indices were analysed to evaluate the mineral accumulation, potential ecological risk, edaphon activity, fertility, and the overall soil quality. The Technosols showed alkaline pH, nitrogen ranged from 24.5 to 39.5 g kg ?1 , high organic matter contents above 40 g kg ?1 , and there were no evident processes of soil compaction. Heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) did not exceed the thresholds defined by the Italian law for urban soils, despite their volcanic components. During eight years, the chemical indices depicted changes in the elements balance and increase in ecological risk; the biological indices indicated a reduction in the fungal fraction (fivefold) and in the resources utilisation and carbon storage. The soil quality index with all parameters highlighted the reduction in the soil quality (from 0.78 to 0.65) due to the decrease of the chemical quality, the increase of microbial stress conditions, and changes of the microbial composition, underlining the importance of integrating chemical and biological information for monitoring Technosols.

Keywords: urban soil; volcanic materials; soil functionality; microbial biomass; soil nutrients; heavy metals content; minimum data set (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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