1. Introduction
Urban soil pollution is a multifaceted and dynamic challenge, marked by the intricate interplay of various pollution sources and their far-reaching impacts on soil properties. The distinction between point and diffuse sources of pollution underscores the complexity, with diffuse pollution posing significant threats to the biochemical and microbiological aspects of soil [
1,
2,
3,
4,
5]. The severity of metal pollution in urban soils is evident, with key contributors including metallurgical industry, mining activities, fossil fuel consumption, vehicular traffic, irrigation, waste incineration, and fertilizer/agrochemical use [
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10]. The concentration and intensity of emission sources in urban areas lead to the redistribution of pollutants over significant distances [
5,
11,
12,
13].
In response to this intricate issue, Serrani et al. [
5] proposed a 'threshold of attention' for metals, providing a practical limit adaptable to evolving pollution sources and remediation efforts. This innovative approach acknowledges the dynamic nature of urban soil pollution, offering potential solutions for effective environmental management. The World Health Organization (WHO) has identified arsenic, lead, mercury, and cadmium as major public health concerns due to their toxicity, persistence, and bioaccumulative properties [
14,
15]. Various anthropogenic activities contribute to the presence of these metals in urban environments, including industrial processes, soil pollution, landfills, tailings ponds, and the use of agricultural fertilizers and pesticides [
15,
16,
17]. Triassi et al. [
15] address the contamination of groundwater by metals in Southern Italy, shedding light on the environmental impacts of local industries, agriculture, and urban activities. Italy, in addressing environmental concerns, has implemented the Directive through Legislative Decree 152/2006, known as the "Single Environmental Text," consolidating environmental laws into a unified legislative text (European Union Report: Status of Implementation of EU Environmental Laws in Italy, IP/A/ENVI/IC/2006-183, November 2006) [
18].
Despite a global lack of comprehensive data on metal contamination, Tóth et al. [
19] conducted a detailed analysis of metal content in agricultural topsoils across the European Union. Their study emphasizes the need for targeted monitoring and remediation actions based on specific regions' risks. In their findings, they identified the Finnish standards for contaminated soil (Ministry of the Environment — MEF, Finland, 2007) [
20] align closely with various national systems in Europe [
21] and India [
22], serving as global benchmarks for agricultural soils [
23].
As developing countries undergo swift urbanization and industrialization, there is a significant influx of organic and inorganic pollutants into urban environments, posing risks to human health. With a growing urban population, the entry of metals into human bodies through multiple exposure pathways becomes a critical concern, emphasizing the need for precise risk characterization in health assessments [
24,
25]. Urban areas cover about 6% of Europe's total area, with 52% of the global population residing in urban or peri-urban regions [
26,
27,
28]. The dynamic nature of urban environments, influenced by construction, use, and renewal processes, highlights the significant impact on urban landscapes [
28,
29]. The complexity of urban soils, influenced by various factors like construction remnants and drainage processes, challenges conventional assessment methods [
27,
30]. Agricultural practices, including prolonged flooding, terracing, and deep ploughing also impact soils, with altered soils, resulting from human-induced changes exhibiting mixing and the presence of anthropogenic horizons [
28,
30].
The presence of pollutants, especially metals, in landfill leachate poses a serious threat to public health and ecosystems [
31,
32,
33,
34]. Soil, as the ultimate sink for metals, accumulates these pollutants through interactions with inorganic and organic matter [
34]. Heavy metals (Cd, Ba, Hg, and Pb) have the potential to enter the food chain, posing health risks through consumption, dermal contact, ingestion, and inhalation [
34,
35,
36], whereas toxic metals (Cr, Mn, Cu, As) through drinking water and inhalation of soil particles [
34,
37,
38].
In Europe, metal contamination is a significant concern, with an estimated 2.5 million potentially contaminated sites [
39]. The LUCAS Topsoil Survey provides a detailed overview of metal concentrations in the topsoil of the European Union, supporting local assessments and potential control measures [
40,
41]. A comprehensive study on Palermo's urban soils investigated mineralogy, geochemistry, and concentrations of 11 heavy metals, offering insights into metal sources and contamination [
42,
43,
44]. Peri-urban agriculture, situated between urban and rural zones, plays a pivotal role in global urban development [
45,
46]. However, metal contamination in peri-urban agricultural soils poses health risks for adults and children in vegetable production, as revealed by a recent meta-analysis [
47]. The challenges of soil pollution in urban areas, driven by industrialization, urbanization, and transportation, necessitate quick and simple methods for assessing urban soil quality [
48,
49,
50,
51,
52]. The recognition of Technosols as Soil of the Year 2020, characterized by strong human influence, adds significance to understanding urban soil dynamics [
53]. Inorganic contaminants in urban soils, including heavy metals like Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni, or Cd, resist decomposition by microorganisms, posing long-term toxicity to plants, animals, and humans [
54,
55,
56,
57].
Recent data from the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) database highlights Italy's position as the “topmost notifying country” for heavy metals in food and feed, particularly for cadmium, mercury, chromium, and nickel; whereas in the RASFF notifications for Pb, Italy was ranked as the second most commonly involved “country of origin” [
58]. A chapter on soil governance in the European Union critiques existing strategies and advocates for a unified EU soil protection framework [
59]. Using the fractal/multifractal method, a study maps potentially toxic elements distribution in Salerno, offering insights for enhanced environmental management [
60]. The spatial diversity of urban soils is heightened by excavation, redistribution, and mixing of the soil matrix, influenced by extensive land use changes [
61]. A study in Rome examines lead, copper, nickel, and zinc concentrations in soils of urban parks and gardens, emphasizing the contribution of vehicle traffic to metal pollution and proposing mitigation measures [
62]. A study on volcanic agricultural soils in southwestern Italy reveals elevated concentrations of chromium and copper due to irrigation with contaminated water, suggesting a potential risk of metal-rich sediment transfer during water movement [
63]. Roman industrial mining and smelting have had a lasting impact on atmospheric contamination, with lead and copper use in water supply networks causing significant contamination in adjacent city harbours [
64,
65,
66,
67,
68]. Investigations of abandoned sites in Northern Italy with extractive wastes indicate elevated concentrations of Co, Cu, Ni, Cd, and Zn, posing significant risks to the environment and living organisms [
69]. The Legislative Decree 3 April 2006, n. 152, plays a crucial role in Italy by regulating the remediation of contaminated sites outlining procedures, criteria, and methods in alignment with EU principles, particularly emphasizing the "polluter pays" principle (Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana, 2006) [
70].
On July 5, 2023, the European Union proposed a new Soil Monitoring Law to safeguard and restore soils, ensuring sustainable utilization (Directorate-General for Environment, European Commission, 2023) [
71]. Numerous studies on metals in the urban soils of Rome and other cities in Italy contribute to our understanding of the extent and impacts of urban soil pollution [5,41,42,60,62,63,66,69,
72,
73,
74,
75,
76,
77,
78,
79].
This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution of metals Be, Ba, Pb, Co, Ni, V, Zn, Hg, Cd, As, Cu and Cr in agricultural soils in the Rome (Italy) area. It focusses on the variation and spatial distribution characteristics of these metals at a regional scale in the urban agricultural areas of Rome, Italy, particularly in the area outside the “Grande Raccordo Anulare” (GRA) ("Great Ring Junction") where there is greater potential for urban gardens implementation. The goal was to comprehend the established relationships between metals and their respective sampling locations. The research uses, besides descriptive statistics, multivariate analysis methodologies (principal component analysis, PCA, and cluster analysis) and geographic information systems (GIS). Ultimately, the study aimed to identify groups and spatial patterns of similarity in metal concentrations/sampling locations in the soils. The findings obtained from this research could set a precedent in the particular region under examination, providing valuable insights for comparable studies in areas where agriculture, construction, and mining intersect.
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study area, Soil sampling and Sample Preparation
Figure 1 shows the location of sampling points in the urban areas of Rome, Italy. Rome, one among the largest urban regions in the northern Mediterranean basin, spans 5,363.22 km
2 with over 4.3 million inhabitants, has a population density of 788 inhabitants per km
2 [
80].
As the third-largest metropolitan city in Italy, the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital encompasses nearly one-third of the Lazio region. The focus of the investigation is primarily on Rome municipality, covering 150,061.3 ha, and specifically, the arable land within it amounts to 49,263.97 ha (QGIS 3.34) [
81]. The “Città Metropolitana di Roma (CMRC)” institution plays a crucial role in guiding the sustainable development of the metropolitan area, with a key focus on enhancing food security through strategic planning, protection of high-production areas, and promoting local supply chains [
82,
83]. The Rome municipality is observed as an extraordinarily rich metropolis with great historical and environmental significance having a long history of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development [
84,
85]. A focal point of Roman urban agriculture is the intricate examination of the historical and socio-economic dynamics that transformed the city's landscape since the 1950s, shedding light on the specific features of peri-urban agriculture and emphasizing Rome as a paradigmatic example of the urban Mediterranean city with intense interconnections between the urban and rural dimensions [
85,
86].
According to the climate change knowledge portal [
87], the mean annual average surface air temperature for Italy during the period 1991 to 2020 has ranged from 5.28 ˚C in the winter (December to February) to 21. 63 ˚C in the summer (June to August). Further, the portal acknowledges that rainfall (aggregated accumulated precipitation) in Italy during the same period has ranged from 155.84 mm in the summer (June to August) to 273.90 mm in the Autumn (September to November).
The characteristics of the 12 sampling locations are as follows:
44 Cesano EST VU2 (GPS: 42.07139, 12.3541)-Green space near military zone, lakes, and school faces contamination risk from urban and industrial areas, designated Special Protection Area (SPA) and near NATURA 2000, emphasizing ecological impact on flora and fauna; 52 Olgiata NORD VU1 (42.05254, 12.37427) - Proximity to multiple roadways exposes soil to metals, heightened risk in urban environment from industrial activities and vehicular emissions.49 Via m. Visentini VS2 (42.06189, 12.35241) - Dynamic urban/suburban setting exhibits varying soil characteristics influenced by historical land use, proximity to roadways, local geological conditions, vehicular emissions and road runoff, coupled with anthropogenic alterations, and nearby urban activities, emphasizes need for comprehensive analysis to assess potential metal contamination; 60 Via Cherasco VU2 (41.95411, 12.34489) - Agricultural land with olive trees and irrigation systems near main road, ideal for comprehensive metal analysis, ensuring environmental and agricultural sustainability; 58 Via m. Filippini GG1 (41.93446, 12.35094) - Landscape with agricultural crops and residential buildings near GRA ring, critical for soil analysis to understand land use impact and environmental factors on soil quality and composition.
Mongale 3 Prato Naturale IN (41.7574, 12.5543) - Situated near Ciampino airport, featuring tall trees, agricultural crops, and proximity to major roadways, provides valuable insights into the complex interplay of urban infrastructure, natural reserves, and land use practices on soil composition, with potential influences from airport-related activities, agricultural practices, and vehicular pollutants; Ostia Antica 3 Volponi (41.8147, 12.2972) - Situated near Fiumicino Airport and connected to major roadways, presents a complex environment with industrial, transportation, and agricultural activities, emphasizing the need for comprehensive soil analysis to assess potential metal contamination risks and implications for crop quality and food safety in this intricate landscape.
Ostia Antica 2 Volponi AC2 (41.7601, 12.2982) - Well-developed urban settlement near River Tiber and urban settlements with cultural landmarks, requires critical metal analysis for preservation of environmental, historical, and public health aspects; Mariotti 1 Ortaggi AC2 (41.816, 12.3536) - The sample from this field near Autostrada Roma-Fiumicino, GRA ring, and industrial zones, demands thorough metal analysis for potential contamination risks in an urban-industrial interface; Settebagni 5 AC2 (42.00631, 12.51202) - Near Salaria Sports Village and River Tiber, essential metal analysis needed for informing land use decisions in the urban planning area of Settebagni; Marcigliana 8 AN2 (41.99146, 12.56138) - Soil sample from Via della Marcigliana within Riserva Naturale della Marcigliana necessitates metal analysis for safeguarding historical and environmental integrity; Tenuta Columba Salaria 1 AC3 (42.0384, 12.55583) - Soil sample from Via Salaria within Riserva Naturale della Marcigliana demands metal analysis for safety of produce and environmental protection in agriculturally significant area.
The study area consists of territory inside the boundaries of municipality of Rome, Italy. Urban Atlas of Rome city is a vector file representing land use (including agricultural areas) in the Metropolitan area of Rome. The agricultural land is classified under class 2 with minimum mapping unit of 1 ha and our target class is 21000: Arable land (annual crops) [
88]. Reconstruction of the CTR mosaic (Carta Tecnica Regionale or Regional Technical Map) was performed by downloading all the raster CTR covering Rome’s municipality area (the maps in the background in the soil map) (Source: Lazio Pedological Map and Index of cartografia CTR_10K_TIF ROMA LIMITI) [
89]. Subsequently, georeferencing the soil map using the EPSG of the map-EPSG 3004 and later, digitization process was accomplished in free QGIS software for Rome by digitizing the mapped polygons. Finally, various soil types found in this region were summarised based on information from the source: Carta dei Suoli del Comune di Roma in scala 1:50.000 - I SUOLI DI ROMA Due passi sulle terre della città (Soil map of municipality of Rome) [
90].
Selected sites within Rome municipality, featuring diverse soil types and land uses, were identified using Google Earth and Google Maps. A comprehensive list of urban farm locations, complete with addresses, email contacts, and phone numbers, was compiled. Contact was established with these farms to seek cooperation for soil surveying, and permission from landowners was obtained for sample collection.
A total of 12 samples of agricultural soils were collected for this study in 2023 in Rome, Italy characterized by various types of land uses such as, tree cover, shrubland, grassland, cropland, built-up area (
Figure 1).
Figure S1 shows the spatial distribution of 12-metal concentrations at each sample location presented against the background of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) derived from ESA WorldCover 2021 using the v200 algorithm [
91].
The maps were generated in QGIS 3.34, where the ESA WorldCover data was downloaded, clipped to the Rome region of interest, and utilized as the background. The individual metal concentration maps were created in QGIS 3.34 [
81] and subsequently merged into a single map.
At each of the sites, one composite sample (1 kg of soil), consisting of 15–20 sub-samples, was taken. They were then placed in airtight polyethylene bags, labelled (with coordinates, location name and type of cultivation), and taken to the laboratory for analysis. Soil was collected using an auger from the upper 30 cm surface layer (the depth of rooting for most plants). Basic geographic data was acquired from the Google Earth and QGIS 3.34 [
81]. Soil samples were thus collected at 0-30 cm depth.
The soils were collected in three different batches in 2023 (April, May and July, 2023). The first and second batch soils were dried at room temperature for 1-2 weeks and third batch soils were dried in hot air oven at 60°C for two days. Both air-dried and oven-dried soils were passed through a 2-mm stainless steel sieve to remove debris, stone fragments. The fine earth and stone weight were after sieving were measured in a weighing balance and noted down. The fine earth was split into two halves and stored into Ziploc bags, one for immediate use in laboratory experiments and other for future use.
2.2. Analytical methods, Statistical analysis and Regulation limits
All metals were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) at Eurofins Analytico B.V. according to the reference method NEN-EN-ISO 17294-2.
Table 1 shows the elements analyzed and their respective Italian Law limits A and B [
70].
Descriptive statistics, encompassing measures such as the mean, maximum, minimum, median, Quartile 1, Quartile 3, skewness, kurtosis, Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) test, and coefficient of variation (CV) were computed using free Software R 4.2.2 version (RStudio) [
92] for the samples. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test [
93] was employed to evaluate the normality of the variable distributions and also variability in metal concentrations was estimated using the coefficient of variation. Average (standard deviation) of the concentration of the elements for each of the observed clusters was performed in Microsoft Excel 365.
The bar chart depicting individual metal content in 12 sampling locations of Rome, Cluster Analysis, 3-Dimensional Principal Component Analysis (PCA) Biplot for sampling locations and metals, Pearson Correlation Coefficient Matrix for metals under the study were performed with the OriginPro Software 2021 version [
94]. Subsequently, the 2-Dimensional Principal Component Analysis (PCA) Biplot for sampling locations and metal content was performed using free Software R 4.2.2 version (RStudio) [
92].
Prior to conducting PCA and Cluster Analysis metal data, auto scaling was applied to ensure equal contribution of each variable, preventing dominance by variables with larger scales and enhancing the reliability of the results.
PCA was conducted to identify latent factors and reduce dimensionality, facilitating a clearer interpretation of underlying patterns in potentially toxic element’s concentrations across various sampling locations. Additionally, Cluster Analysis was employed to classify similar patterns, revealing distinct groups and providing insights into the spatial and compositional variability of metal concentrations in the study. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient Matrix was calculated to assess the strength and direction of linear relationships between metals and sampling locations, guiding further analysis into the interconnected dynamics of metal occurrences in the studied areas.
PCA was conducted to identify latent factors and reduce dimensionality, facilitating a clearer interpretation of underlying patterns in potentially toxic element’s concentrations across various sampling locations. Additionally, Cluster Analysis was employed to classify similar patterns, revealing distinct groups and providing insights into the spatial and compositional variability of metal concentrations in the study. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient Matrix was calculated to assess the strength and direction of linear relationships between metals and sampling locations, guiding further analysis into the interconnected dynamics of metal occurrences in the studied areas.
In Italy, environmental regulations are governed by Legislative Decree 152/2006, known as the "Single Environmental Text," which consolidates laws on environmental protection [
70]. This decree establishes Contamination Thresholds (CSC) for potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in soil and water [
95], as outlined in the Ministerial Decree (D. Lgs. 152/06, 2006). The legislation, organized into six parts, covers various environmental aspects, including strategic and environmental assessments, soil protection, waste management, air quality, and the precautionary principle. The overarching goal is to enhance human life quality by safeguarding the environment and ensuring the responsible use of natural resources, providing a comprehensive framework for assessing metal concentrations in compliance with established thresholds.
5. Conclusions
The multifunctional urban agriculture initiatives in Rome, particularly those undertaken by young farmers through programs like "Rome Cultivating the City" (Roma Città da Coltivare) and "Terre ai giovani," (Lands for youth) not only contribute to sustainable agricultural practices but also serve as effective solutions to urban sprawl, offering ecological services, biodiversity enhancement, and green connectivity while addressing socio-economic challenges. These projects showcase the potential for urban agriculture to play a pivotal role in reshaping urban-rural dynamics, fostering environmental resilience, and providing valuable ecosystem services in heavily urbanized areas [
85].
The emergence of new forms of urban agriculture (NFUA), encompassing urban farms, community-supported agriculture, allotment gardens, and agricultural parks, globally signifies a strategic response to address local food demand, protect farmlands from urbanization, and enhance the cultural well-being of urban residents in contemporary metropolitan landscapes [
117].
Indeed the introduction of urban gardens, mainly by reusing abandoned or non-productive land, involving local populations, is an important factor with great social, environmental and economical relevance, with a strong contribution to cities sustainability. However, as consequence of decades of land occupation with industrial activities that operated without appropriate environmental regulation and the emission of diffused pollution due to cars, soils may have become with increased contaminations that may limit its utilization. This is particularly critical when food is to be produced, which may become a source of toxic substances into animal and human bodies.
In the case of the present study, besides anthropogenic pollution sources, the quality of the soils becomes compromised due to natural geologic factors. Indeed, the volcanic origin of soils, contribute to relatively high levels of barium, beryllium, arsenic and vanadium, and taking into consideration the great toxicity of some of these metals the human health risks of using these soils as urban gardens for food production become too high. However, further information should be obtained about the bioavailability and potential transference mechanisms into the products that are being produced in those soils.
In conclusion, this study collectively underscore the critical importance of addressing soil contamination, particularly in urban environments, for effective environmental management and public health. The distinctions between point sources and diffuse pollution, the comprehensive analysis of heavy metal content, and the global applicability of standards highlight the complexity and urgency of the issue. The interplay of urbanization with soil properties and the potential impact on human health through the food chain emphasize the interconnectedness of environmental and human well-being. The research also stresses the need for reliable data, comprehensive studies, and cohesive policies to guide interventions and future research. Overall, the findings contribute valuable insights for soil management, environmental health, and the development of unified strategies to mitigate the risks associated with soil contamination.
To reiterate, only one studied soil “Settebagni 5 AC2” met the limit A concerning all the metals analyzed. The soil from Ostia Antica 3 Volponi was found unsuitable for agriculture purposes because it had 1200 mg/Kg of Pb. Moreover, several locations were found to have very high concentrations that are worthy of scrutiny and detailed studies. Though the results of this study are limited by a small number of study locations and samples, these results indicate that high metal content can be a significant barrier to the utilization of urban agricultural lands in Rome. These results may hold great importance for cities based in volcanic soils and in industrial cities utilizing urban agricultural lands for food and feed. Further research is needed to understand the impact of soil enrichment with metals on agricultural output and public health.