Abstract
Three indicators are employed including the Enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation (I geo), and potential ecological risk assessment (PERI) to measure the degree of contamination of As, Co, and Hg in soils. The objective of this investigation is to evaluate the concentration of As, Co, and Hg in the soils of Iowa (IA), Kansas (KS), and Nebraska (NE). Study of the spatial distribution of chemicals was carried out as part of the investigation, which leads to the suggestion of the potential source of the elements. EF, I geo and PERI indexes, As and Co contain minimal enrichment, and Hg is high. EF of As and Hg are similarly classified with minimal contamination as well as EF of Co in NE. EF can be ordered Hg > As > Co. PERI values of As and Co are classified as a low risk. PERI values of Hg are higher than As and Co. I geo values of As and Co indicate uncontaminated to moderately contaminated soil. I geo of Hg is highest of three chemicals order Hg > As > Co. However, I geo degree of As is approximately similar in the three states and it is higher than Co, which indicate as uncontaminated to moderately contaminated. PERI show serious ecological risk pollution of Hg in the soils. These investigations indicate minimal to moderate soil contamination with As and Co in the three states. The spatial distribution is widespread and continuous. Point source maps are compared with this present product. The nature of the spatial distribution correlates with the major human activity on the land, agriculture. The As, Co, and Hg chemistry of the soil is due to the intense fertilization that accompanies such successful agriculture, which originates from anthropogenic sources that require continuous monitoring.
Highlights
In the last decades, soil sustainability and soil contamination with chemical elements has received more attention and become of global environmental concern [43]
ToxMaps of the USEPA are superimposed with geochemical maps and are discussed in the last section of this article, to compare with elements hotspots
ToxMaps of the USEPA are superimposed with geochemical maps (Figure 6) and discussed in the last section as to whether anomalous regions are associated with the element hotspots
Summary
Soil sustainability and soil contamination with chemical elements has received more attention and become of global environmental concern [43]. Soil is the basis for the growth of different species of plants required for the food chain of living organisms. It is the home of a large mass of microorganisms. Chemical elements in the soil have been found with low concentrations in rocks and soil [64]. Some of these elements such as As, Se are found as anions, while others such as Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Pb, and Zn occur as cations [64]. The increase of concentrations of chemical elements may accumulated overtime and cause soil pollution [46]
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