Nicola Ricca

From rock to soil: geochemical pathway of elements in Cosenza and Rende area (Calabria, southern Italy)

The parent materials slowly release the elements over time as part of the natural weathering process. As molecules of an element move between their various forms, they come to a dynamic equilibrium that shifts according to certain soil conditions, including: pH, texture, aeration of the soil, and the presence of other ions. In this study, 149 samples of topsoil (0-10 cm) were collected in the municipalities of Cosenza and Rende (Calabria, southern Italy) and analyzed for 36 elements by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In addition, 18 rock samples were collected on outcrops of whole area and analyzed by ICP-ES and ICP-MS. Elemental concentrations in soil are primarily controlled by the geochemical composition of bedrock, with some notable exceptions ascribing to anthropogenic factors.

Studying potentially toxic trace elements in soil-plant system: a case study of an olive orchard in southern Italy (Calabria)

Soil to plant Transfer Factors (TFs) are commonly used to estimate the food chain transfer of chemical elements. The entry of trace contaminants, such as potentially toxic trace elements (PTEs), from soil into human food chains, is controlled by their uptake by plant roots in the long term. Some PTEs in the soil-plant system were studied through the TFs in an olive orchard in southern Italy. Soil samples and olive leaves were collected and analysed for Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn by using Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). In addition, pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, clay content and cation exchange capacity were measured in soil samples. Factor of trace elements from soil to olive plants showed average value