Facultad de Ciencias. Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo (ESPOCH) EC060155-Riobamba (Chimborazo), Ecuador.
Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo, Riobamba 060108, Chimborazo, Ecuador.
Ecotoxicol Environ Saf. 2024 Jan 15;270:115919. doi: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115919. Epub 2024 Jan 4.
Volcanic eruptions can have long-lasting negative effects on nearby environments and communities, especially those relying on agriculture. The Tungurahua and Sangay volcanoes in Ecuador's highlands pose a significant risk to the region's agricultural economy and inhabitants. The most recent eruption of the Tungurahua volcano spanned from September 1999 to March 2016. Volcanic ash is known to contain both non-essential and essential elements for plant growth, but excessive amounts of the latter can also be toxic and disrupt physiological processes. Additionally, the use of pesticides and fertilizers introduces additional elements to agricultural soils, which can potentially transfer to edible plants and raise health concerns for consumers. Despite this, little is known about the impact of the Tungurahua volcano's latest eruption on soil deposition of micronutrient and heavy metals and their potential transfer to the food chain. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a study to explore the impact of the Tungurahua volcano's latest eruption on soil deposition of Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, As, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn, as well as the physicochemical characteristics of cultivated and uncultivated soil samples and vegetables in the cantons most affected by volcanic ash. According to our findings, the physicochemical properties, micronutrient, and heavy metal concentrations of both cultivated and uncultivated soils differ and, in some cases, exceeded the maximum limits established, which could affect the health of the soil as well as of human beings through the trophic chain. This study provides valuable information for monitoring the chemical and physical properties of soil and vegetables in areas affected by the Tungurahua volcanic activity and agriculture, aiding in understanding their impact on the environment, agriculture, and potential health risks associated with locally grown crops in rural Ecuadorian communities.
火山爆发会对周边环境和社区造成长期的负面影响，尤其是那些依赖农业的地区。厄瓜多尔高地的通古拉瓦火山和桑盖火山对该地区的农业经济和居民构成了重大威胁。通古拉瓦火山最近一次喷发始于 1999 年 9 月，持续到 2016 年 3 月。火山灰中既含有植物生长所需的非必需元素，也含有必需元素，但后者含量过高也可能有毒，并扰乱生理过程。此外，农药和化肥的使用会向农业土壤中引入其他元素，这些元素可能会转移到可食用植物上，对消费者的健康构成威胁。尽管如此，对于通古拉瓦火山最近一次喷发对土壤中微量元素和重金属沉积及其向食物链潜在转移的影响，人们知之甚少。为了填补这一知识空白，我们开展了一项研究，以探讨通古拉瓦火山最近一次喷发对土壤中 Cd、Cr、Ni、Pb、As、Fe、Cu、Mn 和 Zn 沉积的影响，以及受火山灰影响最严重的几个州的耕地和非耕地土壤样本和蔬菜的理化特性。根据我们的研究结果，耕地和非耕地土壤的理化性质、微量元素和重金属浓度存在差异，在某些情况下，这些参数超出了设定的最大限值，这可能会影响土壤以及通过食物链影响人类的健康。这项研究为监测受通古拉瓦火山活动和农业影响地区的土壤和蔬菜的化学和物理特性提供了有价值的信息，有助于了解它们对环境、农业以及厄瓜多尔农村社区当地种植作物相关潜在健康风险的影响。
