X-ray Diffraction Determination of Minerals Carrying Trace Elements in Soil: Application to the French Soil Quality Monitoring Network
Résumé
Trace elements (TE) occurring naturally in soils derive from the parent materials from which the soils were developed. We propose a feasibility study of the x-ray diffraction determination of TE carriers of a natural origin applied to 28 samples collected from soil 30-50cm deep in the French Soil Quality Monitoring Network from two French provinces. Three main pedogeological families were studied. Results show that mineralogical analysis permits the determination of several potential TE carriers. They also explain the highest concentrations of certain TEs in soils. Such knowledge of carriers is useful for understanding and evaluating the risks of TE transfer in ecosystems. Nevertheless, it is also shown that the use of mineralogical soil analyses for an understanding of the total TE contents can be variable, depending upon which TE or which soil type is considered.