Soil pollution indices and health risk assessment of metal(loid)s in the agricultural soil of pistachio orchards

Abstract

Elevated levels of metal(loid)s in soil may pose potential threats to the ecosystem and can be harmful for human health. The concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Cr and Ni were determined in agricultural soil collected from 45 pistachio orchards around Feizabad city, Khorasan Razavi province, Iran using ICP-OES. Also, soil pollution indices including contamination factor (CF), pollution load index (PLI) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) were evaluated. In addition, non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk indices were estimated. The mean concentrations of metal(loid)s were in the order of Ni = 466.256 > Cr = 120.848 > Pb = 12.009 > As = 5.486 > Cd = 0.394 mg/kg. Concentrations of As, Cd and Pb in the soil samples were within their respective permissible limits set by World Health Organization (WHO). But concentrations of Cr and Ni in 84.4 and 100% of the samples, respectively exceeded the WHO allowable limits. The CF, PLI and Igeo showed that soil of some of the pistachio orchards was contaminated with some metals. The possible sources of the metals in the soil are application of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, manures as well as irrigation water. Hazard quotient (HQ) ad Hazard index (HI) values from soil of all the orchards were found to be well below the respective threshold limit (1), suggesting that there is no immediate non-cancer threat arising from the contamination at all the orchards with metal(loid)s for children and adults. The highest cancer risk values (1.13E-02 for children and 1.25E-03 for adults) were estimated for Ni in the soil. Collectively, this study provides valuable information to improve the soil in the pistachio orchards to reduce metal(loid)s contamination and minimize the associated health risks to the population in the area.

Geochemical Assessment of Heavy Metal Distribution in Bug River Sediments, Poland: The Impacts of Urbanization and Agricultural Practices

“…Pb compounds added to gasoline have been replaced with Mn, leading to increased emissions of this element. Adamiec et al [55] and Smolders and Degryse [10] pointed out that tire wear releases significant amounts of Zn. Zinc compounds also act as antioxidants for the oil in the combustion chamber [56].…”

“…Metals from human activities usually occur in higher concentrations and can have a more toxic impact on aquatic fauna and flora than those from natural sources. They can bioaccumulate in aquatic organisms and enter the food chain, potentially significantly affecting human health [10,11]. Heavy metals, which are not biodegradable, undergo biotransformation through the complex physicochemical and biological processes in aquatic ecosystems [12].…”

“…A long-term perspective on surface water quality management should effectively consider both point and diffuse sources of heavy metal pollution to minimize their impact on river ecosystems. Understanding and controlling these processes are crucial for developing pollution management strategies and protecting water resources [10,14].…”