Analysis, spatial distribution and ecological risk assessment of arsenic and some heavy metals of agricultural soils, case study: South of Iran

Abstract

Purpose In this study, rates of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead and zinc contents in agricultural soils from Eghlid County, south of Iran, were determined to assess the soil pollution and potential ecological risk index (PERI) and also spatial distribution of such elements. Method A total of 100 topsoil specimens were collected from 100 sampling stations. In the laboratory, after acid digestion the element contents in soil samples were determined using ICP-OES. Then, the soil contamination and also ecological risk of the soil were assessed using various indices especially Igeo, PI, IPI, PLI and PERI. Also, the spatial distribution maps of the studied elements in soil specimens were made using the kriging interpolation technique by ArcGIS software (10.4). Results Based on the results, the mean contents (mg/kg) of the elements in specimens were 1. 85, 2.80, 19.04, 19.35, 7.17 and 38.77 for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn, respectively. Arsenic and Cu contents were comparable to background values, while Cd contents were higher than their corresponding background values. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) revealed that Cd had anthropogenic sources; while, other elements originated from natural sources. Pollution index (PI) values of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn varied in the range of 0.45-1.49, 0.52-32.09, 0.096-0.33, 0.36-1.35, 0.18-0.32 and 0.23-1.59, with mean values of 0.92, 12.17, 0.21, 0.68, 0.21 and 0.96, respectively. The integrated pollution load index (PLI) values of the specimens with an average value of 0.84, indicated that 65% and 35% of soil samples were moderately and low contaminated, respectively. The mean value of PERI with 380.32 implied that the agricultural soils of the study area could be classified of high ecological risk. The spatial distribution of content of the elements showed that Cd had high spatial variability. Conclusions Although in the short run, the contents of the elements found in the agricultural soil samples may not be alarming for agricultural production and consequently human health, signals it can be observed especially for Cd in the long term due to the impact of anthropogenic activities that lead to the discharge of this element to the environment and can result in its accumulation in agricultural soils. In conclusion, as it is expected that the metal inputs increase in the future, it is recommended that plant analyses be included in the future studies for determining the impact of the amount of bioavailable metals.

Analysis and Source Identification of Heavy Metals in Soils of Central Urban Area of Chongqing, China

“…The contents of heavy metals Cd, Hg, Cr, Cu, Zn and Pb in the soil of Rhizus monkey peach garden in Qianjiang District of Chongqing are higher than the national background value, and the contents of heavy metals in the soil of different orchards are also different (Yan and Ding et al, 2021). Compared with foreign countries, the contents of As and Cu in agricultural soils of Eggred County in southern Iran are close to the background values, while the contents of Cd are higher than the corresponding background values (Sabet Aghlidi and Cheraghi et al, 2020). Therefore, the degree of human disturbance in different areas leads to different levels and concentrations of heavy metals in the soil.…”

Heavy metal pollution level and potential ecological risk assessment of sludge landfill

“…In this work, quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) procedures were implemented using standard reference materials (SQC‐001, Sigma‐Aldrich, Spain) 17 . All test procedures were used to ensure the reproducibility of tests: (1) all the experimental materials were new in this study; (2) all the reactor was washed by HNO 3 (5% wt/wt) solution, and then with tap water and deionized water to avoid other pollutants contamination; (3) three parallel samples in each and twice chemical analyses with one sample were performed; (4) all digestion tests had a blank sample.…”

“…Meanwhile, the evaluation of potential human ecological risk, which evaluate the possibility and nature of side effect of human health. It can be elucidated that heavy metal speciation and content in the ecosystem, now or in the future 7,8,9,13,17 …”

Removal of Ni(II) and Cr(VI) Ions From Electroplating Wastewater Using Ferrous Sulfate

“…Water containing high levels of this metal is not drinkable and can lead to pulmonary embolism, kidney failure, digestive system damage, and dermatitis, and skin rashes [8,9]. Similarly, Cr is a harmful and cancer-causing toxin for people [11,12]. Cr and its compounds are found in metal scratching, chromium plating, metal processing, steel industries, ceramic, wood preservatives, agricultural runoff, tanning, fabric coloring, leather, and cement.…”