Abstract
AbstractTwenty surface soil samples (0-10 cm) and shoots of a perennial shrub Zygophyllum coccineum L. were collected around a cement factory on the western coast of Saudi Arabia, in order to assess concentrations of some heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn). The most noticeable among all heavy metals was Pb that showed an average concentration of 460.15±86.60 μg g-1 followed by Cr (138.67±30.89 μg g-1), Zn (54.41±43.79 μg g-1), Ni (41.22±12.60 μg g-1) and Cu (33.48±12.52 μg g-1). Based on biological concentration factor analysis, Z. coccineum can be considered as an accumulator only for zinc (BCF >1). Estimation of various ecological contamination factors revealed the significant impact of Pb in the environmental pollution in the region. It is also understood that the primary contribution to the ecological risk index (RI) mainly originated from various anthropogenic influences such as industrialization and urbanization. The different statistical analysis further revealed the potential effect of soil characteristics on the occurrence and dispersal of heavy metals in the study area.
Highlights
Twenty surface soil samples (0-10 cm) and shoots of a perennial shrub Zygophyllum coccineum L. were collected around a cement factory on the western coast of Saudi Arabia, in order to assess concentrations of some heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn)
The present results showed that in the downstream of Rabigh valley, Table 2: Descriptive statistics of different physico-chemical characteristics of soil samples studied around the cement factory
This might be due to the high synergistic deposition of heavy metals from the cement manufacturing [37,38,39]
Summary
Abstract: Twenty surface soil samples (0-10 cm) and shoots of a perennial shrub Zygophyllum coccineum L. were collected around a cement factory on the western coast of Saudi Arabia, in order to assess concentrations of some heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn). Based on biological concentration factor analysis, Z. coccineum can be considered as an accumulator only for zinc (BCF >1). Estimation of various ecological contamination factors revealed the significant impact of Pb in the environmental pollution in the region. It is understood that the primary contribution to the ecological risk index (RI) mainly originated from various anthropogenic influences such as industrialization and urbanization. The different statistical analysis further revealed the potential effect of soil characteristics on the occurrence and dispersal of heavy metals in the study area
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