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Trace Elements in Tephra Soils of Mounts Kupe and Manengouba (Cameroon)

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Abstract

Increasing demographic pressure in the area around the Mounts Kupe and Manengouba (Cameroon) is leading to increased agricultural activities with potential heavy metal pollution problems. Concentrations of twelve trace elements (TEs) in five Andosols and one Cambisol developed on tephra of ages varying from 6.61 ± 0.17 to 0.01 ± 0.12 Ma of the mounts mentioned above were determined and their correlation relationships with selected soil physico–chemical (organic matter (OM), \({\text{p}}{{{\text{H}}}_{{{{{\text{H}}}_{{\text{2}}}}{\text{O}}}}}\), pHKCl, pHNaF, oxalate extractable Al, Fe, Si, pyrophosphate extractable Al, allophane and ferrihydrite contents) properties evaluated. Alkaline fusion was used to bring the elements in solution followed by elemental detection through ICP–OES. Results showed that average concentrations (ppm) of the TEs increased in the following order: Be, Bi (<5) ≈ Cd, Pb (<10) < Co (54 ± 13), Cu (60 ± 23) < S (109 ± 140), Ni (119 ± 51), Zn (125 ± 17), Cr (152 ± 69), Sr (197 ± 133) < Ba (472 ± 224). Vertical distribution of TEs was irregular, except for S accumulated in topsoil. Ba, Sr, and Zn are associated to OM and allophane according to correlation analysis. Cr, Co, Cu and Ni are apparently more related to OM and pH, while S appears to be related to OM only. In both the Andosols and Cambisol, TEs are dominantly lithogenic. Relationships between TEs indicated that Ba is associated to Zn, Co to Cr, Cu and Ni, Cr to Cu and Ni, while Cu is associated to Ni. Status of TEs in these soils will provide more critical information to environmentalists for pollution monitoring. This study provides baseline data on TE concentrations and distribution in tephra soils of the humid tropics in Africa where a paucity of such data exists.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil Science Department, Faculty of Agronomy and Agricultural Sciences, University of Dschang, Dschang, Cameroon

    Roger Kogge Enang,  Bernard Palmer Kfuban Yerima &  Georges Kogge Kome

  2. Geology Department, Faculty of Sciences (WE13), Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium

    Eric Van Ranst

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  1. Roger Kogge Enang
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Roger Kogge Enang, Bernard Palmer Kfuban Yerima, Georges Kogge Kome et al. Trace Elements in Tephra Soils of Mounts Kupe and Manengouba (Cameroon). Eurasian Soil Sc. 53, 595–606 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1064229320050051

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