Environmental screening for the assessment of potentially toxic elements content in PGI soils from the Mediterranean region (Italy and Turkey)

To provide a contribution to the Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection, here we present the results of a study focused on the
potentially toxic elements (PTE) content in agricultural soils’ representative for the Mediterranean region. To reach this
aim, samples of 22 Italian (NE Peloritani Mountains, Sicily) and 18 Turkish (Amik Plain, Hatay) soils were collected and
analyzed to evaluate their PTE content. The Italian and Turkish sites have been selected because they represent very important cultivation zones. In Amik Plain (Turkey), the dominant crops consist of cotton, wheat, corn and olives, whereas in NE
Peloritani Mountains, Sicily (Italy), an appreciate citrus variety, known as the “Interdonato lemon”, guaranteed by Protected
Geographical Indication label, is produced. The collected results include: (1) the assessment of PTE levels in soils; (2) the
identifcation of the PTE sources; (3) the relationships between PTE contents and soil properties (pH, electrical conductivity,
organic matter, CaCO3, and clay). Several multivariate statistical methods such as correlation matrix, cluster analysis and
main component analysis were applied to individuate the anthropogenic vs natural origin of the PTE sources. The detected
PTE levels are in decreasing order Mn>Zn>V>Cr>Cu>Ni>As>Pb>Co>Sb>Se>Cd for the Italian soils, and Mn>
Ni>V>Zn>Cr>Cu>Pb>Co>As>Se>Sb>Cd for the Turkish soils. The overall obtained results allowed to defne: (a)
a main lithogenic source for PTE detected in the Italian soils, except for Zn which origin is also associated to anthropogenic
input; (b) a lithogenic origin for all of the PTE detected for the Turkish soils, with an associate anthropogenic contribution for
Cr, Ni, V, Cu and V. The results obtained in this work enhance the knowledge in the individuation of PTE pollution sources
in agricultural soils of the European Mediterranean region.