Assessment of the Heavy Metal Contamination of Roadside Soils Alongside Buddha Nullah, Ludhiana, (Punjab) India

Abstract

The present study was carried out to determine the physico-chemical characteristics and heavy metal contents in roadside soil samples collected during 2 sampling periods (September 2018 and April 2019) from 8 different roadside sites lying parallel to the Buddha Nullah, an old rivulet, flowing through Ludhiana, (Punjab) India. The contents (mg/kg) of seven metals (cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, lead, nickel and zinc) were estimated using a flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Among the metals analyzed, the contents of Cd, Co, Cu, Pb and Zn were found above the permissible limits. The results of the index of geoaccumulation (Igeo), contamination factor (CF), contamination degree (Cdeg), modified contamination degree (mCdeg), the Nemerow pollution index (PI) and pollution load index (PLI) indicate a moderate to high heavy metal contamination of the analyzed soil samples. The results of the potential ecological risk factor (ERi) and potential ecological risk index (RI) indicate a low to moderate risk of heavy metals in the studied soil samples. The Pearson correlation analysis revealed that most of the variables exhibited a statistically significant correlation with one or more variables during the two samplings. Multivariate analysis demonstrates that contents of heavy metals in the study area are influenced by anthropogenic and geogenic factors.

Pollution load assessment of agricultural soil samples of some villages from Ludhiana district, Punjab.

“…Application of magnesium fertilizers such as magnesium nitrate and magnesium sulfate could be the cause of high magnesium levels in the sites studied. Similar results were reported earlier by Kaur et al (2022) in roadside soil samples collected from the vicinity of Buddha Nullah, Ludhiana, Punjab where the contents of calcium and magnesium were found in the range of 0.12-3.13 mg/g and 0.032-0.609 mg/g. Concentration of sodium in all soil samples ranged from 0.45 mg/g (BLE) to 0.62 mg/g (AWL).…”

“…The use of water from the nearby owing polluted Bhuddha Nullah, for irrigation purposes could be responsible for the high levels of Cd in the study locations exceeding the permissible limit of 0.06 mg/kg Agarwal (2009). The ndings are comparable to those of Kaur et al (2022) where Cd content (0.03 to 0.46 mg/kg) in most of the samples were above the safe limit. Farid et al (2015) reported that Cd enters the soil through the use of phosphate fertilizers, Cd-contaminated sewage sludge and manure with phosphate fertilizers, being the primary source of Cd pollution, in agricultural soil.…”

“…2021) reported diffuse sources of metals in soil, to be fertilizers, pesticide, sediments runoffs and higher concentration of metals in soil along trans-boundary areas of Sutlej river (Punjab). Tariq and Rashid (2012) reported that nitrate fertilizers were the most signi cant sources of Cd and Co while fungicides and pesticides for Pb and fertilizers for Zn, Cu, Fe, and Mn (Kaur et al 2022). Furthermore, the sources of heavy metals like Cd, Pb and Co in agricultural soil samples, in the present study may be mainly originated from pesticides, fertilizers and industrial or domesticated sewage as well as irrigated water from Bhuddha Nullha.…”

“…Kaur et al 2022) except for one site, i.e., Hambran (HBN) where the value was 10.16 mg/kg. The main sources of cobalt contamination in the environment have been identi ed as rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, compounds containing cobalt sewage e uents, and urban and agricultural runoff (Juraszek et al 2020).…”

Health risk of heavy metals from the consumption of cucumber in Darrehshahr Township, west of Iran

“…Ye et al (2015) claimed that there was a signi cant correlation between metal concentrations including Pb in the soil texture and Lead content in the vegetables tissue [38]. Vicinity of road tra c [39], transferring of dust particles contain lead, and irrigation of farms using raw wastewater and e uents [40] could be attributed to the high concentration of Pb in the vegetables tissue [41]. The average concentration of Ni, Cu, and Zn in all samples was more than the recommended range by FAO/WHO.…”