Aqua regia extractable selenium concentrations of some Scottish topsoils measured by ICP-MS and the relationship with mineral and organic soil components

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture Vol. 90; no. 6; pp. 972 - 980
• Main Authors: Shand, Charles A, Balsam, Matthias, Hillier, Stephen J, Hudson, Gordon, Newman, Gareth, Arthur, John R, Nicol, Fergus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chichester, UK John Wiley & Sons, Ltd 30.04.2010; Wiley; John Wiley and Sons, Limited
• Subjects: acid treatment; Aluminum Silicates; Aluminum Silicates - analysis; analysis; aqua regia; aqua regia extraction; Arable land; arable soils; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon; Carbon - analysis; chemical concentration; chemistry; classification; Dietary minerals; Diffraction; extraction; Extraction processes; Food engineering; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; geographical variation; Geologic Sediments; Geologic Sediments - chemistry; Geologic Sediments - classification; Hydrochloric Acid; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Least-Squares Analysis; Mass Spectrometry; mineral content; Minerals; Minerals - analysis; Nitric Acid; organic compounds; Parents; Potassium; Potassium - analysis; Potassium Compounds; Potassium Compounds - analysis; Rock; Scotland; Selenium; Selenium - analysis; Soil; Soil (material); Soil - analysis; soil carbon; soil chemistry; soil mineralogy; soil minerals; Soils; Topsoil; X-Ray Diffraction; Scotland; soil carbon; aqua regia extraction; inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; soil; Concentration; soil minerals; Inductive coupling plasma spectrometry; Carbon; Inorganic element; Soils; Chemical composition; Extraction; Selenium; Mass spectrometry
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.3905

BACKGROUND: To provide information concerning the geographical distribution of selenium (Se) in the soils of Scotland, we analysed 47 arable soils selected on the basis of their parent rock, which were expected to have relatively high, low or unclassified Se concentrations. To investigate relationships between the actual minerals in the soils and the aqua regia extractable Se concentration of the soil, soil minerals were quantified by X-ray diffraction.RESULTS: The aqua regia extractable Se concentrations of the soils were between 0.19 and 1.46 mg kg⁻¹. No simple correlation between the aqua regia extractable Se concentrations of the soil and the parent rock classification estimated by soil survey was evident. Partial least squares analysis revealed that the aqua regia extractable Se concentration of the soils was positively related to loss on ignition (LOI) or C concentration and negatively related to the K-feldspar concentration, with other minerals being less important.CONCLUSION: The Se concentration of arable topsoils from Scotland is more related to LOI or carbon concentration, with parent material being less important.