Investigating the Concentration of Heavy Elements in Soils from Thi-Qar Governorate
Keywords:
heavy metals, soil pollution, anthropogenic activities
Abstract
Heavy metals are widely recognized as environmental contaminants owing to their toxicity, enduring presence in the environment, and ability to accumulate in living organisms. These metals originate from natural sources such as the breakdown of rocks containing metal deposits and volcanic eruptions. However, human activities such as transportation, waste management, industrial development, and various social and agricultural practices greatly contribute to environmental pollution and affect the overall global ecosystem. Heavy metals (HMs) are among the most dangerous toxicants because they enter the soil via multiple mechanisms and accumulate in the food chain. Toxic metal pollution has increased dramatically from the beginning of the industrial revolution. This study was conducted to determine the levels of contamination of the soil of Thi Qar Governorate, located in southern Iraq, with heavy metals including lead, cadmium, Zinc, and copper during September and October for the years 2023-2024. The study contained modelling and analysis of nine soil samples from the Eredo, Al-Husaynat, Al-Arja, Al-Khamisiya Al-Bathaa, Suq Al-Shuyoukh, Al-Shatrah, Al-Rifai, and Al-Chibaish districts. The heavy metal measurement levels were in the following range: Pb (73 -2.5 ppm), Cd (13.3-0.016 ppm), Zn (42-8.1 ppm), and Cu (26-4 ppm). The concentration of the metals in the soil samples varied according to the following trend: Pb>Zn>Cu>Cd. The findings indicated that the soil in the Eredo area, Al-Arja, and Al-Husaynat districts is contaminated with lead and cadmium, exceeding the globally permitted limits for uncontaminated soil.
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S. Sharma, “Effect of restricted emissions during COVID-19 on air quality in India,” Science of the Total Environment, vol. 728, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138878.
K. N. Palansooriya, “Soil amendments for immobilization of potentially toxic elements in contaminated soils: A critical review,” Environ Int, vol. 134, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2019.105046.
Z. Gong, “Plant abiotic stress response and nutrient use efficiency,” Sci China Life Sci, vol. 63, no. 5, pp. 635–674, 2020, doi: 10.1007/s11427-020-1683-x.
A. Alengebawy, “Heavy metals and pesticides toxicity in agricultural soil and plants: Ecological risks and human health implications,” Toxics, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 1–34, 2021, doi: 10.3390/toxics9030042.
X. Jiang, “Recent Advances in Carbon Dioxide Hydrogenation to Methanol via Heterogeneous Catalysis,” Chem Rev, vol. 120, no. 15, pp. 7984–8034, 2020, doi: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.9b00723.
Published
2024-03-21
How to Cite
Nassar, A. M. (2024). Investigating the Concentration of Heavy Elements in Soils from Thi-Qar Governorate. Central Asian Journal of Medical and Natural Science, 5(2), 44-50. https://doi.org/10.17605/cajmns.v5i2.2399
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