Baseline Concentrations of Potentially Toxic Elements in Natural Surface Soils in Torrelles (Spain)

The objective of this article is to establish baseline concentrations of Ba, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, and Zn (aqua regia-extractable) in natural surface soils of the Torrelles Municipal District and to investigate the relationships between these elements and soil properties and between the element concentrations themselves. Upper baseline concentrations of these elements were (mg kg −1): Ba 272.6, Cr 40.8, Cu 31.0, Ni 29.9, Pb 68.1, Sr 83.0, V 49.7, and Zn 132.7; most corresponded with the values reported in the literature. Correlation analysis showed that total Fe and Al have the strongest relationships with trace elements.