Version 1
: Received: 8 August 2024 / Approved: 9 August 2024 / Online: 9 August 2024 (12:20:40 CEST)
How to cite:
Onyando, Z. O.; Omukunda, E.; Khatiebi, S.; Omwoma, S.; Otieno, P.; Osano, O.; Lalah, A. J. Heavy Metal Contamination Potential in Agricultural Soils under Dynamic Cropping Systems in Large-Scale Farms in Western Kenya. Preprints2024, 2024080712. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0712.v1
Onyando, Z. O.; Omukunda, E.; Khatiebi, S.; Omwoma, S.; Otieno, P.; Osano, O.; Lalah, A. J. Heavy Metal Contamination Potential in Agricultural Soils under Dynamic Cropping Systems in Large-Scale Farms in Western Kenya. Preprints 2024, 2024080712. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0712.v1
Onyando, Z. O.; Omukunda, E.; Khatiebi, S.; Omwoma, S.; Otieno, P.; Osano, O.; Lalah, A. J. Heavy Metal Contamination Potential in Agricultural Soils under Dynamic Cropping Systems in Large-Scale Farms in Western Kenya. Preprints2024, 2024080712. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0712.v1
APA Style
Onyando, Z. O., Omukunda, E., Khatiebi, S., Omwoma, S., Otieno, P., Osano, O., & Lalah, A. J. (2024). Heavy Metal Contamination Potential in Agricultural Soils under Dynamic Cropping Systems in Large-Scale Farms in Western Kenya. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0712.v1
Chicago/Turabian Style
Onyando, Z. O., Odipo Osano and and Joseph Lalah. 2024 "Heavy Metal Contamination Potential in Agricultural Soils under Dynamic Cropping Systems in Large-Scale Farms in Western Kenya" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202408.0712.v1
Abstract
Sustainable soil quality management is one of the most important approaches in ensuring high agricultural productivity and safe quality produce. With the current rising application of inorganic fertilizers and chemical pesticides, degradation of agricultural soils is becoming a global phenomenon, attracting attention of many researchers. The present study hypothesized that with the increasing chemical pesticide and fertilizer application under various cropping systems, there is potential for increased toxicity of heavy metals residues above background concentrations and their associated complexes and intermedia transfer between environmental compartments in large-scale farms in Kenya. Using standard methods, 204 soil samples collected from five distinct cropping systems were analyzed for PH, Electrical Conductivity, exchangeable base cations (Na+, Mg2+, K+, Ca2+), Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Fe, Cr, Total Organic Carbon and Total N and data analyzed using Genstart, version 23.1. The concentrations of Zn, Cu, Pb and Fe were lower than the globally acceptable levels hence less soil pollution threat (NPI<1). However, Cd concentration exceeded permitted levels (NPI>1). Among the cropping systems considered, Maize and sugarcane cropping systems were the most susceptible to heavy metal pollution. In conclusion, the rank order of the pollution potential associated with heavy metal contamination in the study area is Cd>Zn>Pb>Cu>Cr>Fe.
Keywords
Cropping system; contamination; heavy metal; index; soil
Subject
Environmental and Earth Sciences, Environmental Science
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.