HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Schulz-Zunkel, C. Articles by Krueger, F. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Schulz-Zunkel, C. Articles by Krueger, F. Agricola Articles by Schulz-Zunkel, C. Articles by Krueger, F. Related Collections Heavy Metals

REVIEWS AND ANALYSES

Trace Metal Dynamics in Floodplain Soils of the River Elbe: A Review

^a Dep. of Conservation Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Permoserstraße 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
^b ELANA–soil, water, monitoring, Dorfstraße 55, 39615 Falkenberg, Germany and LEUPHANA Univ. Lueneburg, Faculty of Environment and Engineering, Herbert-Meyer-Straße 7, 29556 Suderburg, Germany

^* Corresponding author (christiane.schulz{at}ufz.de).

Received for publication June 30, 2008. This paper reviews trace metal dynamics in floodplain soils using the Elbe floodplains in Germany as an example of extraordinary importance because of the pollution level of its sediments and soils. Trace metal dynamics are determined by processes of retention and release, which are influenced by a number of soil properties including pH value, redox potential, organic matter, type and amount of clay minerals, iron-, manganese- and aluminum-oxides. Today floodplains act as important sinks for contaminants but under changing hydraulic and geochemical conditions they may also act as sources for pollutants. In floodplains such changes may be extremes in flooding or dry periods that particularly lead to altered redox potentials and that in turn influence the pH value, the mineralization of organic matter as well as the charge of the pedogenic oxides. Such reactions may affect the bioavailability of trace metals in soils and it can be clearly seen that the bioavailability of metals is an important factor for estimating trace metal remobilization in floodplain soils. However as bioavailability is not a constant factor, there is still a lack of quantification of metal mobilization particularly on the basis of changing geochemical conditions. Moreover, mobile amounts of metals in the soil solution do not indicate to which extent remobilized metals will be transported to water bodies or plants and therefore potentially have toxicological effects. Consequently, floodplain areas still need to be taken into consideration when studying the role and behavior of sediments and soils for transporting pollutants within river systems, particularly concerning the Water Framework Directive.

Abbreviations: FPC, flood pulse concept