Arsenic profile distribution of the wetland argialbolls in the Sanjiang plain of northeastern China

The wetland Argialbolls pedon was chosen to investigate the effects of pedogenic processes and anthropogenic activities on the vertical distribution of As concentrations. Two wetland Argialboll cores (90 cm long) were collected from the Sanjiang Plain in northeastern China and analyzed for pH, soil organic matter (SOM), Fe, Mn, and As. The results indicate that SOM accumulated in the upper horizons, while Fe and Mn were reductively leached from the upper horizons and significantly accumulated in the lower argillic horizons. Atmospheric As deposition and As redistribution during the pedogenic process led to the unique vertical distribution of As concentrations in the wetland Argialbolls. Overall, As was leached from upper horizons and then accumulated in the lower argillic horizons. However, continual atmospheric As deposition maintained a slightly elevated As concentration in the top layer. In detail, As concentration in the upper horizons ranged from 1.1 to 5.3 mg kg(−1), while it ranged from 18.2 to 65.7 mg kg(−1) in the lower argillic horizons. The high As concentration in the argillic horizons might pose a risk to shallow groundwater in the area.