Exploratory analysis of multi-element geochemical patterns in soil from the Sarno River Basin (Campania region, southern Italy) through compositional data analysis (CODA)

摘要

The Sarno River Basin (south-west Italy), nestled between the Somma-Vesuvius volcanic complex and the limestone formations of the Campania-Apennine Chain, is one of the most polluted river basins in Europe due to widespread industrialization and intensive agriculture. Water from the Sarno River, which is heavily contaminated by the discharge of human and industrial wastes, is partially used for irrigation on the agricultural fields surrounding it. We apply compositional data analysis to 319 soil samples, collected during two field campaigns along the river course and throughout the basin, to determine the concentration and possible origin (anthropogenic and/or geogenic) of the elemental anomalies, including potentially toxic elements (PTEs).