Organic Carbon Speciation in Urban Anthrosols—The Legacy of Historical Waste Management

The impacts of waste management on various soils agricultural and urban lands may last centuries or even millennia; however, generally, most studies tend to focus only decadal shorter timescales. This study investigates the characteristic properties anthrosols in around settlement St Andrews (Scotland), context soil organic carbon content speciation. Formed by repeated application fresh pyrogenic wastes since medieval period, these provide a 1000-year research based historical accounts town management. We employed complementary methods high-field solid-state 13C-CPMAS NMR, situ magnetic susceptibility measurement, elemental micro-analysis portable optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). A significant proportion was present as refractory aromatic C structures, including aryl-C moieties. Portable OSL assessment revealed differences intensity rate sediment accumulation. areas had higher phosphorus concentrations, relative extra-urban site located outside burgh. confirms that specific signatures, group functionalities, do reveal evidence such induced long-lasting past anthropogenic modifications.