Abstract
ABSTRACT A thorough assessment of soil contamination with metals allows us to know the ecological and public health risks it poses. In this study, we address the use of mathematical indices derived from the total metal concentration in soil and rock. Soil and rock samples were collected from a total of 19 sites near tailing heaps. Mine tailings were sampled, and total metal concentrations were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry, and contamination indices were calculated. The results revealed high metal concentrations in mine tailing (4841, 1488, and 82 mg/kg Zn, Pb, and Cd, respectively) and soils (4539 mg/kg Pb, 6190 mg/kg Zn, and 48 mg/kg Cd, respectively), while rock had a low metal content, consistent with literature reports. The indices indicated various proportions of samples with different degrees of contamination. Individual indices (EF, Igeo, and CF) showed the highest levels of Pb, Zn, and Cu contamination, while overall indices (Cdeg, PLI, and MCI) indicated a higher proportion of samples with moderate contamination, albeit with some highly contaminated ones.
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