Elemental Fingerprint of Agriculture Soils of Eastern Region of the Arabian Desert by ICP-OES with GIS Mapping

Background: The healthy agricultural soil is essential for the safeguard of the environment. According to the UAE Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW) and Environmental Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), the soil of the UAE is considered as one of the most challenging soils around the world. It is very fragile, sensitive and very slowly renewable. A healthy soil includes certain amounts of elements, which can guarantee growing healthy crops and best yields. Aim: To ensure the former, a comprehensive soil survey of 100 agricultural farms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was performed. Method: The objective of this soil survey was to establish the first documented baseline concentration of UAE soil minerals, trace, and heavy metals contents. Result: The mean values (mg Kg-1) were: Al - 8,539.7, As - 2.17, B - 47.68, Ca - 86,264.5, Cd - 0.35, Co - 10.30, Cr - 111.20, Cu - 14.32, Fe - 9,839.80, K - 2,026.80, Mg - 26,688.30, Mn - 237.40, Mo - 0.02, Na - 470.40, Ni - 60.90, P - 450.60, Pb - 4.25, S - 2,393.50, Si - 795.68, Sr - 593.70, V - 20.90 and Zn - 24.90. Conclusion: Further, study results were compared against international recommended levels. In addition, we provided recommendations to UAE concerned entities regarding regulating the concentrations of these elements found in the agricultural soil. Future research recommendations include extending the study scope to cover all the agricultural farms in UAE including organic farms. Study results supported mineral mapping of UAE soils using the Geographic Information System (GIS).