Arsenic content of soils from three regions of Santa Catarina State

Abstract The determination of trace elements is necessary in order to monitor their entry into the soil system and to remediate contaminated areas. The purpose of this study was to determine the natural content of arsenic (As) in soils of three regions of Santa Catarina State (SC): the Southern Plateau, the Metropolitan area and the Southern Coast. Arsenic content was obtained after digestion in a microwave oven, following the USEPA 3051 A protocol and quantification was made by atomic absorption spectrometry with electrothermal atomization. The results were analyzed by the Scott-Knott test at a 5% significance level. Soil attributes that best correlated with arsenic content were clay, organic carbon, cation exchange capacity and Al and Fe oxides. The arsenic levels are related to the source material and the slope of regional soils.