98
Trace Elements in Abiotic and Biotic Environments
TABLE 14.1
Copper Contents in Soils, Water, and Air
Environmental Compartment
Range
Soil (mg/kg)
Light sandy
1–7
Medium loamy
4–100
Heavy loamy
7–140
Calcerous (calcisols)
7–70
Organic (histosols)
1–120
Water (μg/L)
Rain
0.02–0.3
River
0.27–3.55
Sea, ocean
<1–8
Air (ng/m 3 )
Industrial and urban regions
5–4900
Greenland
0.03–0.06
Sources: Data are given for uncontaminated environments,
from Kabata-Pendias, A. and Mukherjee, A.B., Trace
Elements from Soil to Human, Springer, Berlin,
Germany, 2007; Reimann,  C. and de Caritat, P.,
Chemical Elements in the Environ ment, Springer,
Berlin, Germany, 1998.
(Kabata-Pendias 2011). In soils of the EU countries, its mean concentrations range
from 5 to 50  mg/kg. Mean Cu content in organic surface soils of Norway is
10.8 mg/kg, and is a bit lower than the mean value (11.6 mg/kg) for all investigated
soils (Nygard et  al. 2012). Copper contents of soils in Spitsbergen are within the
range 0.1–1.2 mg/kg (Gulińska et al. 2003).
In most cases, Cu is accumulated in the upper few centimeter layer, mainly due to
bioaccumulation and anthropogenic sources. However, because of its great sorption
by soluble organic matter (SOM), carbonates, clay minerals, and Mn–Fe hydroxides,
it may also be concentrated in deeper soil layers. Goethite reveals a strong affinity
for the Cu sorption, which is controlled by organic acids (Perelomov et al. 2011). Its
sorption on Al–Fe oxides may be increased by the presence of sulfate and phosphate
compounds (Violante 2013).
Copper occurs in most soils as the cation Cu H O)
2 , which is easily adsorbed
( 2 6
by organic and mineral soil components. Mobility depends highly on Cu species
2
2
and soil pH. Some species (e.g., CuO, Cu
[ ] , Cu [OH]
are mobile in
, Cu OH
2
2 )
−
2−
2+
acidic soils (pH < 7), and other species (e.g., Cu OH
[ ] , Cu OH
[ ]
(
) are
, Cu CO )
3
4
3 2
mobile in alkaline soils (pH > 7). All these Cu species, as well as Cu-organic complexes, which are considered to be the most common Cu forms, occur in soil solutions (Kabata-Pendias and Sadurski 2004). Main variables affecting the Cu mobility