Heavy metal pollution assessment in paddy fields and dryland in Bandung District, West Java

Abstract

Excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides causes the accumulation of heavy metals in intensive agricultural land. Besides, the development of industries around the agricultural area further aggravates the accumulation of heavy metals. This study aimed to assess spatial distribution of heavy metal contamination in agricultural land in Bandung District. In this study, seven concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn) in soils were analysed from 273 sampling sites in paddy and horticultural lands in Bandung Regency, Indonesia. The single pollution index (PI) and the Nemerow Integrated Pollution Index (NIPI) were calculated for each surface sample (0-20 cm) to assess the level of heavy metal pollution. Ordinary Krigging (OK) method was used to delineate the spatial distribution of heavy metals. The results show that the average values of all PIs and NIPI values are at a safe level, except for cobalt which showing slightly polluted. The analysis showed that around 3.23 and 8.76% of soil samples were slightly contaminated with cadmium and cobalt, respectively. The finding can be used as a reference for stakeholders to manage paddy fields against heavy metal contamination.