Land-use effect on distributions of as, cr and cu in soils adjacent to cca-treated utility poles in Artvin and Rize, Turkey

Chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood has been widely used in Turkey to protect it from decay. In this study, influences of land-use types on distributions of As, Cr and Cu in soils adjacent to CCA-treated utility poles were studied in tea and hazelnut plantations as well as crop fields. Ten poles from each land-use type (a total of 30 poles) were chosen for the study purposes in Arhavi and Fındıklı towns of Artvin and Rize, Turkey, respectively. Soil samples were collected from surface layers of soil (0- 10 cm depth), adjacent to the utility poles and at distances of 0.5 m and 10 m (control). Concentrations as high as 80, 520 and 94 mg kg-1 were observed in soils adjacent to utility poles for As, Cr and Cu, respectively. Soil As, Cr and Cu levels decreased significantly with the distance from the CCA-treated poles. Cr concentrations in soil were sig- nificantly higher in the tea plantations than in the crop fields (P <0.05). Soil pH, sand, clay and organic matter content varied significantly with land-use type. Our results indicate that the use of CCA-treated utility poles in the tea planta- tions poses more environmental contamination risks com- pared to that in hazelnut plantations and crop fields. These risks could be eliminated by using alternative arsenic-free wood preservatives