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Potential Sources of Anthropogenic Copper Inputs to European Agricultural Soils

Author

Listed:
  • Panos Panagos

    (European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Sustainable Resources, IT-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy)

  • Cristiano Ballabio

    (European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Sustainable Resources, IT-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy)

  • Emanuele Lugato

    (European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Sustainable Resources, IT-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy)

  • Arwyn Jones

    (European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Sustainable Resources, IT-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy)

  • Pasquale Borrelli

    (Environmental Geosciences Department, University of Basel, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland)

  • Simone Scarpa

    (European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Sustainable Resources, IT-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy)

  • Alberto Orgiazzi

    (European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Sustainable Resources, IT-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy)

  • Luca Montanarella

    (European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Sustainable Resources, IT-21027 Ispra (VA), Italy)

Abstract

In the European Union (EU), copper concentration in agricultural soil stems from anthropogenic activities and natural sources (soil and geology). This manuscript reports a statistical comparison of copper concentrations at different levels of administrative units, with a focus on agricultural areas. Anthropogenic sources of diffuse copper contamination include fungicidal treatments, liquid manure (mainly from pigs), sewage sludge, atmospheric deposition, mining activities, local industrial contamination and particles from car brakes. Sales of fungicides in the EU are around 158,000 tonnes annually, a large proportion of which are copper based and used extensively in vineyards and orchards. Around 10 million tonnes of sewage sludge is treated annually in the EU, and 40% of this (which has a high copper content) is used as fertilizer in agriculture. In the EU, 150 million pigs consume more than 6.2 million tonnes of copper through additives in their feed, and most of their liquid manure ends up in agricultural soil. These three sources (sales of fungicides, sewage sludge and copper consumption for pigs feed) depend much on local traditional farming practices. Recent research towards replacing copper spraying in vineyards and policy developments on applying sewage and controlling the feed given to pigs are expected to reduce copper accumulation in agricultural soil.

Suggested Citation

  • Panos Panagos & Cristiano Ballabio & Emanuele Lugato & Arwyn Jones & Pasquale Borrelli & Simone Scarpa & Alberto Orgiazzi & Luca Montanarella, 2018. "Potential Sources of Anthropogenic Copper Inputs to European Agricultural Soils," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:7:p:2380-:d:156951
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Simon W. Moolenaar, 1999. "Heavy‐Metal Balances, Part II: Management of Cadmium, Copper, Lead, and Zinc in European Agro‐Ecosystems," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 3(1), pages 41-53, January.
    2. repec:lib:0000of:v:3:y:2017:i:1:p:66-75 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Despina-Maria Bordean & Luminita Pirvulescu & Mariana-Atena Poiana & Ersilia Alexa & Antoanela Cozma & Diana Nicoleta Raba & Aurica Breica Borozan & Corina Dana Misca & Adriana Morar & Diana Obistioiu, 2021. "An Innovative Approach to Assess the Ecotoxicological Risks of Soil Exposed to Solid Waste," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, May.
    2. Mateusz Sydow & Łukasz Chrzanowski & Alexandra Leclerc & Alexis Laurent & Mikołaj Owsianiak, 2018. "Terrestrial Ecotoxic Impacts Stemming from Emissions of Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn from Manure: A Spatially Differentiated Assessment in Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-19, November.
    3. Jose Navarro-Pedreño & María Belén Almendro-Candel & Ignacio Gómez Lucas & Manuel M. Jordán Vidal & Jaume Bech Borras & Antonis A. Zorpas, 2018. "Trace Metal Content and Availability of Essential Metals in Agricultural Soils of Alicante (Spain)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Mohamed E. Abowaly & Abdel-Aziz A. Belal & Enas E. Abd Elkhalek & Salah Elsayed & Rasha M. Abou Samra & Abdullah S. Alshammari & Farahat S. Moghanm & Kamal H. Shaltout & Saad A. M. Alamri & Ebrahem M., 2021. "Assessment of Soil Pollution Levels in North Nile Delta, by Integrating Contamination Indices, GIS, and Multivariate Modeling," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-20, July.
    5. Abhijeet Ravankar & Ankit A. Ravankar & Michiko Watanabe & Yohei Hoshino & Arpit Rawankar, 2020. "Development of a Low-Cost Semantic Monitoring System for Vineyards Using Autonomous Robots," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(5), pages 1-19, May.
    6. Roslaili Abdul Aziz & Mok Yiwen & Mawaddah Saleh & Mohd Nazry Salleh & Subash C. B. Gopinath & Sunny Goh Eng Giap & Suresh V. Chinni & Ramachawolran Gobinath, 2023. "Bioaccumulation and Translocation of Heavy Metals in Paddy ( Oryza sativa L.) and Soil in Different Land Use Practices," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-19, September.
    7. Jolanta Latosińska & Przemysław Czapik, 2020. "The Ecological Risk Assessment and the Chemical Speciation of Heavy Metals in Ash after the Incineration of Municipal Sewage Sludge," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(16), pages 1-14, August.
    8. Köninger, Julia & Lugato, Emanuele & Panagos, Panos & Kochupillai, Mrinalini & Orgiazzi, Alberto & Briones, Maria J.I., 2021. "Manure management and soil biodiversity: Towards more sustainable food systems in the EU," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).

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