Relationship between mineralogy and elemental composition in strongly developed soils using principal components analysis

Abstract

The distribution rate of major, minor and trace elements in different size fractions of highly developed soils of central Spain was determined and related to the mineralogy of the soils. Analysis of variance, factor analysis and contingency tables were used. The principal trace element carriers were the 2 : 1 phyllosilicates and the Fe and Mn-oxides; kaolinite did not play a role in this regard. Factor analysis indicated that the principal difference is found between samples rich in clay-kaoliniteAl2O3 and samples rich in quartz-SiO2. Alkaline and alkaline-earth elements (K, Na, Rb, Ba and Sr) show a similar behaviour, being directly related to the contents of illite and feldspars. Co and Pb contents are found to be related to the Mn-oxides, while Cu and Zn showed a relatively erratic distribution. Vanadium content was clearly associated with the Fe-oxides, but other metals, such as Cr, Ni and La, showed distinct associations depending on particle size.