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Chemosphere
Volume 64, Issue 11, September 2006, Pages 1818-1828
 
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doi:10.1016/j.chemosphere.2006.01.076    
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Copyright © 2006 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.

Ancient manuring practices pollute arable soils at the St Kilda World Heritage Site, Scottish North Atlantic

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Andrew A. Meharga, Corresponding Author Contact Information, E-mail The Corresponding Author, Clare Deacona, Kevin J. Edwardsb, Margaret Donaldsonc, Donald A. Davidsond, Christian Springd, Charles M. Scrimgeoure, Jörg Feldmannf and A. Rabbf

aDepartment of Plant and Soil Science, University of Aberdeen, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK

bDepartment of Geography and Environment and Northern Studies Centre, University of Aberdeen, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK

cSchool of Geography and Geosciences, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9AL, UK

dSchool of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK

eScottish Crop Research Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, Scotland, UK

fDepartment of Chemistry, University of Aberdeen, Meston Building, Meston Walk, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, UK


Received 18 August 2005; 
revised 30 January 2006; 
accepted 30 January 2006. 
Available online 20 March 2006.

Abstract

The impact of ancient fertilization practices on the biogeochemistry of arable soils on the remote Scottish island of Hirta, St Kilda was investigated. The island was relatively unusual in that the inhabitants exploited seabird colonies for food, enabling high population densities to be sustained on a limited, and naturally poor, soil resource. A few other Scottish islands, the Faeroes and some Icelandic Islands, had similar cultural dependence on seabirds. Fertilization with human and animal waste streams (mainly peat ash and bird carcases) on Hirta over millennia has led to over-deepened, nutrient-rich soils (plaggen). This project set out to examine if this high rate of fertilization had adversely impacted the soil, and if so, to determine which waste streams were responsible. Arable soils were considerably elevated in Pb and Zn compared to non-arable soils. Using Pb isotope signatures and analysis of the waste streams, it was determined that this pollution came from peat and turf ash (Pb and Zn) and from bird carcases (Zn). This was also confirmed by 13C and 15N analysis of the profiles which showed that soil organic matter was highly enriched in marine-derived C and N compared to non-arable soils. The pollution of such a remote island may be typical of other ‘bird culture’ islands, and peat ash contamination of marginal arable soils at high latitudes may be widespread in terms of geographical area, but less intense at specific locations due to lower population densities than on Hirta.

Keywords: As; Cu; Pb; Zn; Peat ash; Plaggen soils; Seabirds

Article Outline

1. Introduction
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Soil and environmental samples
2.2. Analyses
2.3. Experimentation
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Pb pollution
3.2. Zn pollution
3.3. C, N and P
3.4. Palynology
3.5. Implications
Acknowledgements
References









Corresponding Author Contact InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +44 1224 272264; fax: +44 1224 272703.

Chemosphere
Volume 64, Issue 11, September 2006, Pages 1818-1828
 
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