Environmental pollution indices: a review on concentration of heavy metals in air, water, and soil near industrialization and urbanisation

Abstract

Current industrial operations pollute the world’s land, water, and air with heavy metals. Metals’ environmental behaviour and geographical distribution near the industrial production. Heavy metal contamination potential was assessed using geoaccumulation index, enrichment factor, and other criteria. Heavy metal concentrations have increased due to industrial waste, geochemical shifts, agriculture, and mining. Modifying cell structure, heavy metals can harm and cause cancer. We need to develop and conduct comprehensive monitoring to determine if industrial production and mining is causing elevated heavy metal levels nearby area in the zone. This review shares contemporary heavy metal contamination on its nature, origin, and extent.

Environmental Impacts on Soil and Groundwater of Informal E-Waste Recycling Processes in Ghana

“…To address this, we turned to contamination indices as a valuable alternative for assessing soil contamination. These indices have several advantages, including the ability to provide a relative assessment by comparing pollution against natural background values, accounting for individual toxicity responses to consider ecological risks, and facilitating trend monitoring over time [67][68][69]. Among the various pollution indices available, Igeo stands out as one of the most accurate and widely used indices for evaluating contamination levels.…”

“…Among the various pollution indices available, Igeo stands out as one of the most accurate and widely used indices for evaluating contamination levels. Its long-standing use allows for the comparison of previous and present contamination levels, aiding in trend analysis and providing valuable insights into pollution dynamics over time [68,69].…”

“…The contamination factor 𝐶 𝑅 𝑖 for an element is multiplied by the toxic response factor 𝑇 𝑟 𝑖 which is provided in the literature [68]. The sum of the ecological risk factors for the selected elements gives the potential ecological risk index Ri…”

Editorial: Hazardous pollutants in agricultural soil and environment

“…Similarly, the widespread use of chemical pesticides and herbicides, while aiming to enhance crop protection, often leads to long-term soil degradation and loss of biodiversity, further diminishing the soil's natural capacity to support agriculture. The infiltration of these toxic substances into soils, a direct consequence of industrial activities, agricultural practices, and inadequate waste management, leads to a cascade that disrupts the delicate balance of nutrients and microbial life critical for plant growth and soil health (Swain, 2024 ). This xenobiotic contamination undermines the nutritional value of crops and raises the chances of bioaccumulation of harmful chemicals in the human body.…”