Distribution Of Heavy Metal Concentrations Research Articles

Impacts of landfill leachate on groundwater quality in desert climate regions

Control and management of landfill leachate are the most important concerns to protect the surrounding environment, especially the groundwater. In this study, an attempt was carried out to design an approximate tool for finding the safe groundwater withdrawal away from the pollution sources. A case study was applied to a landfill site in a desert climate region, at Mufrihat, the south western region of the Madinah City, KSA. Three boreholes were adopted to monitor the groundwater quality close to leachate collection lake of the landfill site. A 3D simulation model, combining modular finite-difference flow model and the modular three-dimensional transport model, was applied to the leachate collection site to understand the fate and migration of the leachate from collection site bed into the groundwater. The focus of this work was to predict the distribution of heavy metal concentration with both time and distance and to determine the safe location for water extraction from this aquifer. Results showed a good match between numerical model results and experimental measurements. Based on this math and sensitivity analyses performed by the computer model, an empirical mobility model was generated to support the decision makers of this area and similar regions to estimate the safe location for water withdrawal according to the initial concentration of the element, pumping rate and contact time. The mobility model showed that the well located at a minimum of 113 m away from the leachate collection lake would be safe from all studied pollutants.

Spatial distribution of heavy metal concentrations in peri-urban soils in eastern China.

Complex land use patterns and intense human activities significantly affect the spatial distribution of heavy metals in soils. This is especially true in peri-urban areas. The land use in peri-urban areas is complex and the risk of heavy metal pollution is relatively high. Identifying the correlations between land use patterns and spatial distribution of heavy metals in peri-urban soils is important for enhancing soil security and sustaining soil ecosystem services in areas undergoing rapid urbanisation. In this study, soil samples were collected from 82 experimental sites in a typical peri-urban watershed in eastern China. Copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), cadmium (Cd), nickel (Ni), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) concentrations at different soil depths were analysed. Results showed that heavy metal concentrations in peri-urban soils were significantly affected by land use type and varied with soil depth. Farmland had the highest heavy metal concentrations, whereas forestland had the lowest concentrations; the concentrations in soils decreased with increasing soil depth. Spatial analysis of heavy metals in soils showed that their concentrations rapidly increased with the increasing percentage of town areas in buffer zones. This indicated that land use structure influenced the heavy metal concentrations in peri-urban soils and the influences were correlated to the locations of towns and villages. Correlation analysis showed that Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb and Hg concentrations in soils were significantly affected by altitude, distance from roads, distance from towns and villages and soil clay content. Interestingly, historic land use was also found to affect heavy metal concentrations in forestland. These results can provide scientific guidance for designing effective soil management practices for peri-urban areas.

Spatial and temporal distribution of heavy metal concentrations and enrichment in the southern Gulf of Mexico

Trace element (As, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, V and Zn) enrichment trends during the past century, were assessed in thirteen 210Pb-dated sediment cores from the southern Gulf of Mexico, with the purpose to evaluate the impact on the environment, and potentially on public health, of the offshore oil industry and of oil spills such as that of the Ixtoc1 well blowout in 1979. The trace element composition was quite homogeneous among cores; and the pre-industrial concentrations of Ba, Cr, Cu and Ni are naturally high in the region, as to reach levels of potential ecological concern. The influence of multiple and simultaneous processes (e.g. industrial activities, natural seeps, fluvial discharges) on the trace element concentrations is difficult to disentangle. Some cores suggested long-term preservation of putative oil spill traces, although it was not possible to attribute their origin. The Al-normalized redox element ratios, and the crude oil contamination ratio, suggested that these events occurred along almost four decades, and that the traces attributed to the Ixtoc1 spill were comparable to background conditions, most likely owing to active natural oil seeps in the area. In most cases there was a trend towards a lowering in the supply of trace elements; this might be associated with environmental controls in the region since the 1980s. This study highlights the relevance of using dated environmental archives to reconstruct the historical trends of trace metal contamination in areas where long-term environmental studies are scarce.

Coastal water quality assessment and groundwater transport in a subtropical mangrove swamp in Daya Bay, China

Coastal water quality assessment is challenging due to the complex hydrological environment in mangrove swamps. Such assessment requires a good understanding of swamp hydrology and potential solute reactions. In this study, we investigated the concentration variations of a suite of major elements (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42−, HCO3– and Cl−), nutrients such as dissolved inorganic phosphorous (DIP) and silicate (DSi), and heavy metals (Cu, Zn, As, Hg, Cd, Pb and Cr) along a typical mangrove transect in Daya Bay, China. The transect comprises a tidal creek, a mudflat and two mangrove zones. The major elements exhibited various degrees of dilution and loss, such as losses of K+ due to uptake by mangrove trees and of SO42− due to microbial sulfate reduction. Numerical simulations of groundwater flow showed that the inland fresh groundwater can continuously discharge through the landward mangrove zone, where high concentrations of DIP and DSi occurred. However, the middle mangrove zone served as a sink of DIP and DSi due to the weak hydrodynamic environment. The spatial distribution of heavy metal concentrations showed that only Cu pollution occurred in the creek zone. The Metal Pollution Index (MPI) was developed to compare the enrichment capability of heavy metals at the different sampling sites. Results showed that the intertidal groundwater has the strongest heavy metal enrichment capability, followed by sea water, inland groundwater and river water. Within the intertidal zone, the creek zone has the highest MPI, followed by the mangrove zone and the mudflat zone. The local water circulation occurred around the creek should contribute the high MPI in the creek zone.

Assessment of Heavy Metals Contamination in Agricultural Soil of Southwestern Nile Delta, Egypt

ABSTRACTThe spatial and vertical distributions of heavy metals were quantitatively determined for organic-rich agricultural soils in the Southwestern Nile Delta. This study aims to undertake an assessment of heavy metals contamination in the soils of Quessna district using the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy, remote sensing, and geographic information system techniques. In this study, 24 soil samples were collected at 12 sites representing the main suburbs in the Quessna district. The concentrations of the studied metals decreased in the order of Zn > Cr > Pb > Cu > Ni > Co. The contamination degree and ecological risk assessment for metals in soil samples were evaluated using the enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, improved Nemerow's pollution index, Pollution load index, and potential ecological risk index. The spatial and vertical distribution of heavy metals concentrations were affected by soil properties such as clay and organic matter content and scavenger metals (Fe and Mn). The intensive urbanization, industrial activity, and agricultural practices are thought to be the main anthropogenic sources of heavy metals contamination. Further studies especially human health risk assessment are recommended to investigate possible risks for humans from heavy metals in this area.

Heavy metals and arsenic content in water along the southern Caspian coasts in Iran.

Due to the importance of pollution monitoring in marine ecosystems and lack of a coherent and systematic investigation of heavy metal ions along the southern shores of the Caspian Sea, in the present study, the amount of these metals and As ions in coastal waters along its 780-km-long coast in Iran have been studied. Heavy metals (cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc, cadmium, mercury, lead) and a poisonous metalloid (arsenic) were selected in 59 sampling stations and determined using differential pulse polarography method. The multivariate statistical tools were applied to describe and interpret the experimental data. The overall mean concentrations of studied metals (in microgram per liter; μgL-1) in the samples were found in the order Zn (10.9) > Ni (7.4) > Cu (5.5) > Pb (1.9) > Hg (1.4) > As (1.3) > Co (1.1) > Cd (0.2). The results when compared with reported international standards confirmed that the sampled waters do contain some of these elements above the suggested maximum permissible limits. Hg and Cu were detected in 54.2 and 72.9% of the samples, almost all above the permissible limits. Ni, Zn, Pb, and Co were detected in 100, 96.6, 93.2, and 88.1%, respectively, while 8.5, 22.0, 3.4, and 1.7% were above the permissible limits. Cd and As were present in 61 and 93% of the samples, and their concentrations were higher than the rate presented by Russian System of Management Chemicals (RSMC). In addition, spatial distribution of heavy metal concentrations showed that Gorgan Bay is an ecosystem serving as a filter, trapping natural and anthropogenic materials that are brought from industrial, commercial, and urbanized areas. The multivariate data analysis reveals that Caspian Sea is contaminated by both anthropogenic as well as pedo-geochemical sources.

Heavy Metal Pollution Delineation Based on Uncertainty in a Coastal Industrial City in the Yangtze River Delta, China.

Assessing heavy metal pollution and delineating pollution are the bases for evaluating pollution and determining a cost-effective remediation plan. Most existing studies are based on the spatial distribution of pollutants but ignore related uncertainty. In this study, eight heavy-metal concentrations (Cr, Pb, Cd, Hg, Zn, Cu, Ni, and Zn) were collected at 1040 sampling sites in a coastal industrial city in the Yangtze River Delta, China. The single pollution index (PI) and Nemerow integrated pollution index (NIPI) were calculated for every surface sample (0–20 cm) to assess the degree of heavy metal pollution. Ordinary kriging (OK) was used to map the spatial distribution of heavy metals content and NIPI. Then, we delineated composite heavy metal contamination based on the uncertainty produced by indicator kriging (IK). The results showed that mean values of all PIs and NIPIs were at safe levels. Heavy metals were most accumulated in the central portion of the study area. Based on IK, the spatial probability of composite heavy metal pollution was computed. The probability of composite contamination in the central core urban area was highest. A probability of 0.6 was found as the optimum probability threshold to delineate polluted areas from unpolluted areas for integrative heavy metal contamination. Results of pollution delineation based on uncertainty showed the proportion of false negative error areas was 6.34%, while the proportion of false positive error areas was 0.86%. The accuracy of the classification was 92.80%. This indicated the method we developed is a valuable tool for delineating heavy metal pollution.

GROUNDWATER DETERIORATION WITH HEAVY METALS IN NORTHEAST CAIRO AREA, EGYPT

Groundwater in northeast Cairo is used for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes. The fast development in this region and its surroundings, as well as the diverse agricultural, industrial and domestic activities, provide many sources of groundwater pollution; such as smelters, industrial effluents, construction debris, and drainage wastes. The pollution leads to deterioration in groundwater quality which affected the human's health, plants and animals. Twenty two groundwater samples from Quaternary aquifer are collected and chemically analyzed to determine the areal distribution of heavy metals concentrations in the area between Anchas and Abu Zaabal at northeast Cairo. The concerned heavy metals include Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn. High concentrations of Cd, Co and Pb are recorded in most of the collected samples.

The distribution of heavy metals content in the bottom deposits of the trans-border Uzh river system

The dynamics and peculiarities of the heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, As, V, Cr, Ni) migration were established in the system of the river Uzh bottom deposits. An excess in maximum permissible concentration among such elements as Zn, V, As, and Cu was detected in surface waters. We may connect the elevated level of Cu and Zn with natural (metals appearing in ground water run-off, ablation from iron ore, the reaction of interstitial water), anthropogenic (sewage disposals from communal households and manufacturing plants, agricultural run-offs), and hydrochemical (pH of water medium, methylation of non-organic metal compounds, metals release from the organic compounds composition, ingress from bottom deposits) factors. The high concentrations of vanadium in water as well as in bottom deposits are most probably induced by the leaching of elements from the regional volcanic rocks. The plumbum content did not exceed the higher-than-normal rates; however, significant element accumulation was detected in bottom deposits outside the city of Uzhgorod which may be the result of ecotoxicant ingress along with land runoff from the riverside highways laid parallel to the water course. In comparison with background measures, the highest chromium and nickel concentrations were detected near the streamlet Domoradzh and, therefore, it is assumed that the industrial wastewaters serve here as a source of heavy metals. The reservoir in the lowland is above all enriched by arsenic. Areas under agricultural use are significantly concentrated in lowlands. Runoffs from these areas are the main source of the ore supply. However, the impact of municipal domestic waste water which contains arsenic-containing detergents should not be excluded. Moreover, we found a relationship between the relief heterogeneity of the study area and distribution of heavy metals in the hydro-ecosystem. The accomplished comparative analysis of the territories under study indicates the significant pollution level of the surface waters in technologically transformed areas, whereas the largest accumulation of pollutants is concentrated in bottom deposits of the river, which indicates a constant supply of pollutants to the streamflow.

Characterization of Baker Fjord region through its heavy metal content on sediments (Central Chilean Patagonia)

The spatial distribution of heavy metals content (Ba, Cd, Cu, Pb, Sr and Zn) in sediments of the Baker Fjord and surrounding channels in the central region of the Chilean fjords (47°45'S, 48°15'S) is analyzed. The aim of the study was characterized the patterns of abundance and distribution of these metals in surface sediments. The area corresponds to a poorly studied zone with low human activity. Distribution patterns would be influenced by rainfall conditions (local erosion), fluvial (continental sediments carried by rivers), glacier (glacier flour) and estuarine circulation. Cluster analysis allows differentiation among the sampled sites and group with similar characteristics. Finally, the concentrations found were contrasted with average values of metamorphic rocks and show with some certainty that the values found for calendar for this area and the greatest concentrations are the result of natural enrichment.

Environmental and ecological risk of heavy metals in the marine sediment from Dakhla Bay, Morocco.

Heavy metal assessment in Dakhla Bay (Atlantic coast) was carried out using different environmental and ecological indices. Heavy metal concentrations were measured using ICP-AES and were compared with consensus-based sediment quality guidelines. The distribution of heavy metal concentrations varies for the three groups: (i) lead distribution is dominated by its associations with copper and chromium. These elements have the same source, most probably related to anthropogenic activities. (ii) Nickel, zinc and cobalt are associated with aluminium and iron indicating their terrigenous origin (natural content), and (iii) cadmium concentration is related to upwelling currents. This paper systematically studied the distributions and pollution levels of heavy metals in sediment in the coastal areas in Dakhla Bay, which is of scientific significance, to discuss the changing rules and the affecting factors of the harmful heavy metals and can be adopted for reference to other coastal areas.

Relationship Between Landscape Pattern and Spatial Variation of Heavy Metals in Aquatic Sediments in Headwaters Area of Yuqiao Reservoir

Yuqiao Reservoir, an important adjusting reservoir in the project of diverting water from the Luanhe River to Tianjin City, is an important water resource for Tianjin City. Concentrations and spatial variation characteristics of Cd, As, Pb, Cu, Cr, and Zn from 33 sub watershed sampling sites of Yuqiao reservoir and the relationship to landscape pattern were discussed. The result showed that average concentrations of Cd, As, Cu, Cr in suspended particulate matter were higher than Chinese environmental quality standard Grade one for soils, and there were ecological risks for them because they could arrive at Yuqiao reservoir. The average concentrations of Cd, As, Pb, Cu, Cr, and Zn in surface sediments were 0.32 mg·kg-1, 30.39 mg·kg-1, 33.49 mg·kg-1, 58.20 mg·kg-1, 90.16 mg·kg-1 and 94.80 mg·kg-1 respectively. The average concentrations of Cd, As, Cu and the concentrations of Pb, Cr, Zn in partial samples exceeded Chinese environmental quality standard Grade one for soils. The average concentrations of Cd, Cr, Zn in surface sediments of three tributaries increased in the order of Linhe River >Shahe River >Lihe Rier, Cu decreased in the order of Linhe River < Shahe River < Lihe River, and As, Pb increased in the order of Shahe River >Linhe River >Lihe Ricer. Land use types in Yuqiao reservoir basin had some impact on the distribution of heavy metal concentrations in river surface sediments. Woodland and shrub grass land determined the natural distribution trend of heavy metals in surface sediments. Gardenland and industrial & mining land usage had impact on Cd, As, Pb, Cr distributions. Farmland and village & town land usage did not produce negative influence on heavy metal distribution.

Statistical assessment of heavy metal distribution and contamination of beach sands of Antalya-Turkey: An approach to the multivariate analysis techniques

The distribution of heavy metal concentrations in the beach sand samples collected from 44 different locations along the Manavgat Alanya coastline of Antalya covering different coastal sandy beaches was studied. The average concentration level of these metals in the beach sand was calculated and compared to those of the Earth Crust, Sandstone, Ultrabasic Rock and the acceptable limit for Turkey in order to determine their anomalies. Heavy metal (Cr, Zn, Ni, As, Cu, Pb, Co, Mo, Sb and Cd; along with Al, Fe, Mg, Mn, Na, K, Ba, Ca and W) were determined. The elements occurred in abundance as Ca&gt;Na&gt;Mg&gt;Fe&gt;Al&gt;K&gt;Ti&gt;Mn&gt;Cr&gt;Ba&gt;V&gt;Zn&gt;Ni&gt;As&gt;Cu&gt;Pb&gt;Co&gt;Mo&gt;Sb&gt;W&gt;Cd. The sufficiency of the number of samples used from the study area is revealed by the high explanatory power R2 = 96:9 % of the ANOVA Model. Using the box plot, it was also noted that some heavy metals such as As (in samples 1, 19, 25, 28 and 29); Mn (in Samples 23 and 39); Na (in samples 23, 24 and 45); Cr (in Sample 33) and Ti (in Sample 15) had very high anomalies. Heavy metal contents show high anomaly concentrations when compared to some background values (Earth Crust, Sandstone, Ultrabasic and Turkey acceptable limit).

Distribution Characteristics and Source of the Heavy Metal in Jianghan Oilfield,China

Selected within Oilfield wells abandoned mine sites, to collect soil samples at different depths to test the heavy metal content, explore the vertical distribution of heavy metal content, combined with the soil texture and the surrounding environment of the samples, the study area to explore sources of heavy metals. Studies have shown that the four heavy metals content are quite different, the lead(Pb) content is inbetween 0.7-33 mg / kg, the nickel(Ni) content is inbetween13-55mg / kg, barium(Ba) content is inbetween 110-725mg / kg, the cobalt(Co) content is 15-60mg / kg. These four heavy metals are mainly comes from exogenous human activities, including oil exploration, atmospheric deposition, vehicle emissions, manure and fertilizer.

Concentrations of Heavy Metals in Suburban Horticultural Soils and Their Uptake by Artemisia selengensis

A total of 222 surface soil samples and 40 plant samples were collected to investigate the spatial distribution and possible sources of soil heavy metals and to know the uptake and translocation of heavy metals from roots to different plant parts in a representative vegetable production area in the Baguazhou Island, a suburb of Nanjing City, East China. The arithmetic mean values of total Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations in the soils were 0.314, 133, 41.0, 58.0, 31.8, and 114 mg kg−1, respectively. All of these values were above the topsoil background values in the Nanjing area. Multivariate and geostatistical analyses showed that soil Cd contamination was derived mainly from agricultural practices. In contrast, Cu and Zn were derived mainly from soil parent materials and Pb from atmospheric deposition from highway gasoline stations. Artemisia selengensis, a locally important specialty vegetable, accumulated heavy metals primarily in the edible leaves. The general distribution of heavy metal concentrations in this plant species showed that the highest occurred in the leaves, intermediate in the stems and lowest in the roots. Cd had the highest concentration factor (root–to–soil ratio) and may pose increased health risks in the future to the local population through the consumption of contaminated vegetables.

Assessment of heavy metals in sediment of Aguamilpa Dam, Mexico.

The Aguamilpa Dam is part of the reservoir cascade system formed by four reservoirs in the middle and lower part of the Santiago River. For decades, this system has received urban and industrial wastewater from the metropolitan area of Guadalajara and the runoff of agricultural fields located in the river basin. The present study was carried out to obtain a preliminary assessment on the concentration distribution of heavy metals (Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mg, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in surface sediments of the Aguamilpa reservoir collected from 10 sampling stations. The metal concentrations (mg kg(-1)) in the sampling stations ranged as follows: Al, 27,600-7760; Ba, 190.0-15.9; Cd, 0.27-0.02; Cr, 18.30-0.22; Cu, 60.80-0.79; Fe, 15,900-4740; Hg, 0.04-0.01; Mg, 7590-8.05; Ni, 189.00-0.24; Pb, 13.6-1.64; and Zn, 51.8-14.8. Significant spatial variation in concentrations was observed for Al, Fe, and Pb. Sediment pollution was evaluated using the enrichment factor, the geo-accumulation index, the pollution load index, and sediment quality guidelines. Based on geo-accumulation and pollution load indexes, Aguamilpa sediments were found, in some sampling stations, as unpolluted to moderately polluted with Ni, Cd, Cu, and Mg. Enrichment factors showed that Cd is highly related to agricultural activities that take place in the surrounding areas of the Aguamilpa reservoir. Despite these results, none of the heavy metals evaluated exceeded international concentrations limits, indicating that the Aguamilpa reservoir surface sediments are not contaminated.

The effect of reclamation on the distribution of heavy metals in saline–sodic soil of Songnen Plain, China

The spatial distribution of total concentrations and the chemical speciation of heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb and Hg) in saline–sodic soil at different periods of time since reclamation (rain-fed arable land converted into paddy field) were investigated. The fluxes of different input sources of heavy metals were also analyzed. The results showed that long-term reclamation caused a decrease in soil pH and significant Hg accumulation in saline–sodic surface soil. Increasing Hg concentrations were identified at sites that had been reclaimed for longer periods, especially because the Songhua River was polluted by Hg between the 1960s and 1982; therefore, irrigation was assumed to be the predominant contributor of Hg accumulation in soil. Sequential leaching experiment revealed that a greater proportion of Hg occurred in the residual fraction, while the Cu, Zn and Pb were easily bound to oxidizable fraction in saline–sodic soil. Assessed by the spatial distribution of heavy metal concentrations in reclaimed soil, reclamation of saline–sodic soil in the Songnen Plain appeared to decrease the mobility of heavy metals, and did not pose the risk of accumulation in soil.

Assessment of the impact of geographical factors on the spatial distribution of heavy metals in soils around the steel production facility in Smederevo (Serbia)

The concentration of heavy metals (Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) in surface soils in the area surrounding the steel production facility in Serbia was determined to assess the contribution of emissions to pollution. The mean concentrations of Cd, Co, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were found to be higher than values reported for uncultivated soils world-wide and also exceeded mean concentrations of metals in European soil. Analysis of variance revealed the influence of latitude, longitude and distance from the emission source on heavy metal concentrations in soil. Multivariate statistical techniques (cluster analysis and factor analysis) confirmed previous findings and were also used to investigate relationships between heavy metal concentrations and soil particle size fractions. Regression analysis showed that the latitude, longitude and distance from the source are good predictors of heavy metal concentrations in soil. Geostatistical analysis revealed the spatial distribution of heavy metal concentrations in soil and their correlation with prevailing winds in the investigated area.

Magnetic properties of urban soils from typical oasis cities and their environmental implications

This study is a systematic analysis on the environmental magnetic properties, soil texture and distribution of heavy metals content in topsoil sampled from typical oasis cities in desert like Wuhai, Shizuishan and Yinchuan. The results indicated that the topsoil in Wuhai and Shizuishan is typical sandy soil, while that in Yinchuan is sandy loam. Magnetic properties of topsoil samples are all predominated by ferrimagnetic magnetic mineral (magnetite) of coarse pseudo single domain (PSD)-multi domain (MD) particles with magnetic susceptibility of 152 X 10(-8), 104X10(-8), and 117x10(-8)m(3).kg(-1) respectively for the three cities. The magnetic mineral content and magnetic particles size in topsoil samples of Wuhai are significantly higher than that of Shizuishan and Yinchuan. Pollution Load Index (PLI) of heavy metals (Cr, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe) showed that there is slight pollution in the three cities. Dotted distribution of high values of magnetic susceptibility and Pollution Load Index is shown in nonindustrial area, whilst planar distribution with high value is shown in industrial area. The correlation coefficient between magnetic parameters and heavy metals of topsoil in Wuhai is significantly higher than that in Shizuishan and Yinchuan, which suggests that magnetic parameters are more advantageous for evaluation on pollution degree in regions with single pollution source. There is an increase by the same degree in magnetic susceptibility in parallel with the increase of Pollution Load Index, despite of the significant difference of magnetic properties among three cities. Therefore, magnetic susceptibility can be used as the unified and effective substitute indicator to evaluate the pollution degree of heavy metals in topsoil of Ningxia plain.

Spatial distribution of heavy metal content in soils around an industrial area in Southern Turkey

The purpose of this study is to investigate heavy metal contents and to determine their spatial distribution in soils around industrial areas. A total of 102 soil samples were collected by a variable-distance grid sampling technique at depths 0–5 and 5–20 cm from 51 locations. Samples were analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), organic matter (OM), particle size distribution (sand, silt, and clay), and available heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) concentrations. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied to the transformed data. Maps of the spatial distribution of heavy metal concentrations in the research area were generated using kriging interpolation of data for surface and subsurface soils. Mean pH, EC, and OM varied between 7.93–7.98, 293.7–275.7 μS cm−1 and 5.83–3.61 %, respectively. Average values of the heavy metals at both depth ranges showed the following order: Zn > Fe > Mn > Ni = Pb > Cu > Co > Cr > Cd. PCA analysis showed that Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn may have a similar source. Contents of these metals were the highest around the industrial area and roads. Fe was high in the industrial and forest areas, whereas Mn and Ni contents were high in agricultural and forest lands. The spatial distribution of Co appears controlled by both natural and anthropogenic factors, and that of Cr by only natural factors.