Elements In Soil Samples Research Articles

Assessment of contamination levels, potential ecological and human health risks due to trace elements pollution in the vicinity of the Lolodorf uranium deposit, Southern Cameroon.

The current study assessed the contamination levels and associated ecological and health risks due to hazardous trace elements in soils from Awanda and Mvengue, located in the vicinity of the Lolodorf uranium deposit in Southern Cameroon. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the soil samples were performed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry. The results indicated that the mean concentrations of metallic and trace elements in soil samples increased in the following order: U < As < Th < Pb < Cu < Ni < Zn < Cr < Mn < Fe < Al. The average concentrations of U, As, Th, Pb, Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Al ranged between 0.9-3, 2.9-3.8, 9.2-15, 13.1-20.3, 11.5-42.5, 31.1-60.7, 42.9-91.6, 94.50-170.9, 100.45-500.57, 4874.8-88340 and 226147.5-324240.0mg/kg, respectively. The contamination levels of trace elements were assessed and the human health risk of chemical elements was determined. The investigated elements' average contamination factors (CF) results showed the highest mean CF recorded for Al followed by Cr, Th, Pb, Zn, Cu, Ni, Fe, U, Mn, and As. Furthermore, the findings showed that 90% of soil samples can be classified as considerably contaminated with Al, 100%, and 60% as moderately contaminated with Cr and Th, respectively. The Geo-accumulation indices of Mn, Cr, Th, U, Ni, Zn, Cu, As, and Pb were lower than 1, suggesting low contamination levels for these elements. The ecological factors and risk indices indicated a low ecological risk in the investigated area. In terms of human health risk, ingestion was identified as the primary pathway for both carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks, with children found to be more exposed to both risks than adults. Al, Cr, and Fe were found to be the main contributors to non-carcinogenic health risks, while Cr and Ni were the main contributors to carcinogenic health risks.

Seasonal aspects of macro, trace, and ultra trace element changes in soils with different anthropogenic loads

Studying seasonal changes in the concentrations of macro, trace and ultra trace elements in soil samples is important for solving a number of environmental problems in mountainous regions. An innovative technical approach, using a portable X-ray fluorescenceanalyzer, was used to detect changes in the concentrations of certain chemical elements in soil samples from different regions of Armenia during the four seasons. Based on the established Clark concentration for chemical elements, a pollution index was calculated. Regardless of the season, the significance of the pollution index for trace elements is greater than the value of the other elements of the group. Moderate direct and inverse correlations between macro and trace elements, as well as between trace and ultra trace elements were dominant throughout the experimental cycle in all soil samples. The results obtained are of practical importance for the development of mountain soils for agricultural use and can be useful for the preparation of geochemical maps of the distribution of macro, trace, and ultra trace elements to adjust the geochemical background of heavy metals in the soils of Armenia.

Elemental Analysis of Five Medicinal Plants Species Growing in North Ossetia Using Neutron Activation Analysis

One important category of traditional remedies is medicinal plants, which are widely consumed by the population and often subjected to contamination. For the first time, the elemental composition of five wild medicinal plants traditionally consumed in the Republic North Ossetia—brook-mint (Mentha longifolia), oregano (Origanum vulgare), St. John’s wort (Hypеricum perforаtum), thyme (Thymus daghestanicus), and fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium)—and corresponding soil samples was determined. This investigation aimed to assess the degree of toxic element accumulation in plants and the possible toxic effect of the analyzed plants on human health. The analysis encompassed the quantification of 36 major and minor elements in soil samples, alongside the detection of 23 elements in plant samples using instrumental neutron activation analysis. According to contamination and enrichment factors, which were calculated in order to assess the level of soil pollution, elements such as As, Sb, Zn, and U in soil may originate from both geogenic and anthropogenic sources. In all plant samples, the most abundant major elements were K and Ca and their content ranged from 9870 to 49,500 mg·kg−1 and 5400 to 20,000 mg·kg−1, respectively, while among the microelements, Fe (54–2080 mg·kg−1) and Mn (27.8–190 mg·kg−1) can be highlighted as the most abundant. The transfer factor was calculated to estimate metal uptake from soil in plants. The highest values of the transfer factor were obtained for Mo, K, Ca, and Zn. The daily intake of metals and the health risk index were calculated to assess the safety of the collected plants. The health risk index was below the threshold for all plants suggesting a probable non-carcinogenic effect. Principal component analysis and linear discriminant analysis were used as classification techniques. The principal component analysis allowed us to define the main groups of elements and associate them with their sources of origin, while discriminant analysis enabled us to discriminate plant samples by species.

Quantifying of Radioactive Elements in Soil, Water and Plant Samples using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) Technique

In this study, the laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) technique was applied to detect radioactive elements on surface soil, plant leaves (Tamarindus indica), and flow water collected from Bala, Mayo-Kebbi Quest, Chad. The survey process indicates that the samples contain radioactive elements U, Fr, Ce, Ac, Cm, Tb, and Pm. The concentrations of the detected elements in samples were determined using the calibration curve method, while the plasma temperatures (Texc) and electron density (Ne) of the detected radioactive elements were calculated from Boltzmann linear plots. Except for uranium, all elements in the soil sample had amounts below the acceptable limit. The concentration of uranium in soil samples ranges from 0.024236 to 0.23439 ppm, with a safety limit of 0.03 ppm. The average plasma temperature Texc for uranium (U) is 700, while the electron density Ne is 500 cm-3 .

A tool for assessing the sensitivity of soil-based approaches for quantifying enhanced weathering: a US case study

Enhanced weathering (EW) of silicate rocks spread onto managed lands as agricultural amendments is a promising carbon dioxide removal (CDR) approach. However, there is an obvious need for the development of tools for Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) before EW can be brought to scale. Shifts in the concentration of mobile elements measured in the solid phase of soils after application of EW feedstocks can potentially be used to track weathering and provide an estimate of the initial carbon dioxide removal of the system. To measure feedstock dissolution accurately it is necessary to control for the amount of feedstock originally present in the sample being analyzed. This can be achieved by measuring the concentration of immobile detrital elements in soil samples after feedstock addition. However, the resolvability of a signal using a soil mass balance approach depends on analytical uncertainty, the ability to accurately sample soils, the amount of feedstock relative to the amount of initial soil in a sample, and on the fraction of feedstock that has dissolved. Here, we assess the viability of soil-based mass-balance approaches across different settings. Specifically, we define a metric for tracer-specific resolvability of feedstock mass addition (φ) and calculate the feedstock application rates (a) and dissolution fractions (b) required to resolve EW. Applying calculations of a, b, and φ to a gridded soil database from the contiguous USA in combination with known compositions of basalt and peridotite feedstocks demonstrates the importance of adequately capturing field heterogeneity in soil elemental concentrations. While EW signals should be resolvable after ~1–3 years of basalt feedstock addition at common application rates for most agricultural settings with adequate sampling protocols, resolving EW in the field is likely to be challenging if uncertainties in tracer concentrations derived from field-scale heterogeneity and analytical error exceed 10%. Building from this framework, we also present a simple tool for practitioners to use to assess the viability of carrying out soil-based EW MRV in a deployment-specific context.

Can blood morphology, oxidative stress, and cholinesterase activity determine health status of pigeon Columba livia f. urbana?

Environmental studies in Northern Poland are example of the functioning of ecophysiological relationships under anthropogenic impact. The aim of our studies was to investigate sex-dependent effects on the alterations in the concentration of chemical elements in soil samples collected from habitats of feral pigeon Columba livia f. urbana from Northern Poland, as well as feathers, biomarkers of oxidative stress, antioxidant defense, and total cholinesterase activity in tissues (liver, kidney, brain). Concentration of Si, Zn, and Pb in feathers of pigeons was significant. The levels of Si and Zn were higher in feathers of females from non-polluted, while higher Pb levels were found only in females from polluted areas (p = 0.000). This was confirmed by MANOVA of biomarkers of antioxidant defense, elements concentration, and revealing the order of effects: tissue type > environment > sex. Erythrocytes of males living in polluted areas were more fragile to hemolytic agents resulting in a higher percentage of hemolyzed erythrocytes. The effects of polluted environment on the level of carbonyl derivatives of oxidatively modified proteins compared to the effects of sex were more pronounced in the case of kidney (p = 0.000) and hepatic tissues (p = 0.000). Polluted areas were associated with significant increase in SOD activity in the brain and hepatic tissues of pigeons (p = 0.000). Health status of feral pigeons is significantly different in conditions of environmental destabilization.

Ecological risk assessment of soil samples from Sudanese gold-mining regions using neutron activation analysis

ABSTRACT This study sought to assess the concentrations of major and trace elements in soil samples taken from gold-mining sites in Sudan, with the ultimate aim being to explore the degree of pollution and risk caused by trace metals in this region. The concentrations of major elements (Al, Fe, Ca, Na, Ti, K, Mn, Ba) and trace elements (Cr, V, Zn, Rb, Co, Sc, Hf, Th, Br, As, U, Cs, Ta, and Au) were established using neutron activation analysis (NAA), while the concentrations of Cu and Ni were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). This revealed the presence of various major and trace elements in the samples, with some elements showing a moderate level of enrichment in certain locations. Overall, the samples were found to be unpolluted to slightly polluted, except for one sample that showed a slight-to-moderate level of contamination for certain elements. The geo-accumulation index, contamination factor, and multi-element indexes were used to assess the degree of contamination, while the potential ecological risk index was used to evaluate an ecological risk assessment. Pollution indicators showed that the soils considered in the study are at most slightly to moderately polluted by major and trace elements. This study therefore contributes to our understanding of the presence of major and trace elements, the degree of contamination, and the ecological risk presented by trace metals in the soil of gold-mining areas.

Multi-component environmental impact assessment of a thermal power station

The production of electricity at thermal power plants using fossil fuels involves the use of such material resources, most of which are converted into waste that is released into the environment. Hrazdan Thermal Power Station is the largest power plant in Armenia, built and put into operation in the late 1960s. During the study, a comparative analysis of the concentration of some chemical elements in soil samples, including the Hrazdan Thermal Power Plant and the Hrazdan Cement Plant, was carried out. The analysis showed significant differences depending on the sampling location and season. This may be due not only to snow cover but also to the start of spring fieldwork and the application of fertilizers and pesticides to agricultural land, as well as the active period of power plant operation. Therefore, when using multi-criteria methods to assess the environmental impact of different types of power plants, it is necessary to consider the soil pollution coefficient as a separate correction factor.

Effects of Land Uses on Soil Quality of Shwan Sub-basin, Kirkuk Governorate, Northern Iraq

Thirty-two soil samples were collected from the study area in October 2020 for geochemical and pollutants investigation of Shwan Sub-basin soil. All soil samples were analysed for different geochemical analyses. The analysis results revealed that the pH values in soil samples ranged from 7.12 to 7.56 with a mean of 7.327. According to the pH values detected in the soil samples, the soil is classified as neutral soil. The electrical conductivity ranged from 0.92 mmhos/cm to 7.8 mmhos/cm with a mean of 1.53 mmhos/cm. Thus, according to the detected electrical conductivity values, the soil was classified as non-saline to slightly saline. The organic matter ranged from 1.14% to 1.45% with a mean value of 1.326 %, while total organic carbon ranged from 0.66 % to 0.84 % with a mean value of 0.769 % which indicated the soil was characterized by low organic content. The results of the geochemical analysis revealed that the major and minor element mean concentrations were in the order Si&gt; Ca&gt; Al&gt; Fe&gt; Mg &gt; K&gt; Ti&gt; Na&gt; P&gt; Mn&gt; S&gt; Cl&gt; N. The average concentrations of trace elements in soil samples followed the decreasing order Sr &gt; Cr&gt; Ba&gt; Zr&gt; Ni&gt; V&gt; Zn&gt; Ta&gt; Rb&gt; Cu&gt; Nb&gt; Y&gt; Pb&gt; Co&gt; Ga&gt; Mo&gt; As&gt; Th&gt; Br&gt; Sn&gt; I. Furthermore, the comparison between heavy metal concentrations in the soil of the study area and metal concentrations in the world soil limit and Indirect Geochemical Background revealed an increase in metal concentrations of Cr, Ni, Zn, Co, As, Mo and Ta. Multivariate statistical analyses, such as Principal Component Analysis and Agglomerative Hierarchal Cluster Analysis, identified the potential sources of pollutants in the soil. Most metals are from natural sources and some of them are from anthropogenic sources mostly from agricultural activities mainly fertilizers use and the waste of animals breeding on farms. Besides industrial activities such as deposits of pollutants from emissions of petroleum refineries located inside or close to the study area. In addition, building blocks and paint factories.

Health risk assessment and quality reference values of potentially toxic elements in soils of the Southwestern Amazonas State – Brazil

The geochemical processes involved in the Amazon soils formation are not totally understood because its geological and pedological features were formed during different geological events and different times. The Southwestern region of Amazonas State is an example of a region where the soils were developed from rocks formed by sedimentary processes and, nowadays, the soils continue receiving seasonal inputs from the Andes sediments. Data on geochemical patterns of this region are scarce, and there is no information about the possible effects of the natural or unnatural enrichment of potentially toxic elements (PTEs). Thus, this study represents the first research into the geochemical patterns of PTEs in soils of Southwestern Amazonas State. Further, we carried out a human health risk assessment and a proposal for Quality Reference Values (QRV) for thirteen PTEs (As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, V, Zn and Zr). Our findings showed that the PTEs contents in soil samples collected in the lowland areas are strongly influenced by sediments inputs, while samples localized in the highland areas are weakly influenced by sediments inputs and present depletion of PTEs. Barium, Cr, Cu, Ni and Pb were the PTEs most influenced by sediment's deposition. The soil contamination assessment showed the existence of enrichment of the potentially toxic elements in soil samples, which may be a consequence of the natural inputs of the Andean sediments. Furthermore, Co and Cr exceed the safety zone for carcinogenic risk assessment, which indicates the need to monitor these elements and their possible effects on the health of the population in this region.

Analysis of Heavy Metals and Other Elements in Soil Samples for its Physicochemical Parameters Using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) Techniques

The present study was conducted to determine the physicochemical properties and the composition of trace elements of soil samples in agriculture lands. This study has been designed to analyze heavy metal contaminations in 12 soil samples collected at a depth 0-20 cm from the agriculture areas of Munshiganj using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) spectroscopy. This study revealed that the maximum Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, and Pb contents in soil samples were 76293, 3911, 534, 44652, 57.50, 532, 101.45, 242.11 and 39.31 mg/ kg respectively. A physicochemical study of soil is based on various parameters like soil PH, electrical conductivity (EC), TDS mg/L, Salinity. The value of soil PH found to be 7.53 to 9.24, conductivity was ranging from 22.4-66.5 μs, Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) was ranging from 13.39-37.70mg/L and salinity was ranging 22.40-66.50 μs. Along with the experimental data, several environmental indices (Contamination factor, geo-accumulation index, enrichment factor, pollution load index, Quantification of Anthropogenic Concentration of Metal (QoC) have been identified for comprehensive assessment of our study site, which suggesting that these heavy metals Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Rb, Sr, and Pb might come in the samples due to anthropogenic activities.

Utilizing the k0-IAEA program to determine rare earth elements in soil samples from gold-mining areas in Sudan

Utilizing the k0-IAEA program to determine rare earth elements in soil samples from gold-mining areas in Sudan

Studies on Radon Exhalation Rate and Activity of Radioactive Elements in Soil Samples and their Radiological Hazards to the Population of Davanagere District, Karnataka, India

Abstract Exhalation rate of 222Rn from soil samples and the activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th and 40K were studied in soil samples of Davanagere district, Karnataka state, India. 222Rn exhalation rate was measured using smart radon monitor (SRM). The mass exhalation rate of 222Rn varies from 6.9 ± 1.7 to 38.5 ± 3.3 mBqkg-1h-1 with a geometric mean of 20.1 ± 2.5 mBqkg-1h-1. The surface exhalation rate of 222Rn varies from 0.39 ± 0.1 to 2.15 ± 0.18 Bqm-2h-1 with a geometric mean of 1.12 ± 0.14 Bqm-2h-1. Activity concentrations of the radionuclide in soil samples were measured using HPGe detector. 226Ra, 232Th and 40K concentration varied from 32.0 to 106.1 Bqkg-1, from 19.6 to 78.8 Bqkg-1 and from 20.1 to 968.0 Bqkg-1 respectively. The average activity of 226Ra in the soil samples was 63.2 Bqkg-1 which is higher than the global average and the Indian average value, whereas the activities of 232Th and 40K were found to be 34.9 Bqkg-1 and 458.8 Bqkg-1 respectively and are comparable to global average values. When the structural and physical properties of the soil samples were similar, radon exhalation rate from soil samples shows good correlation with its 226Ra activity.

Evaluation of Environmental Contamination by Toxic Elements in Agricultural Soils and Their Health Risks in the City of Arequipa, Peru

This study evaluated the concentration of toxic elements in soil samples from agricultural fields in the districts of Sachaca, Socabaya, Hunter, Quequeña, Yarabamba, Characato and Tiabaya in the city of Arequipa, Peru. The ecological risk, enrichment factor (EF), geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and integrated ecological risk index (RI) were estimated, while the health risk was determined with hazard coefficient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) values. Seven soil samples were collected in July 2019 and 17 toxic elements were analyzed in an accredited laboratory using the inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) methodology. The results were compared with environmental samples where no element exceeded what is established in the standard. The enrichment factor (EF), according to the background of Wedepohl, indicated that As (12.26 ± 3.66) presented a severe enrichment (high) in agricultural soils, while Cd (6.87 ± 3.25) presented moderate values. As, Cd, Pb, Cu and Zn (2.85 ± 0.85; 3.53 ± 1.67; 2.71 ± 1.25; 3.83 ± 0.81; 2.55 ± 0.79) presented low to moderate enrichment in agricultural soils, while Cr did not present enrichment in soils. The Igeo for As in Sachaca, Socabaya, Quequeña and Characato showed moderate contamination, Cu also showed moderate contamination in all the districts evaluated, and Cd showed the same contamination in the districts of Sachaca, Hunter, Quequeña and Tiabaya. The ecological risk in the districts evaluated showed a low degree of risk due to contamination by toxic elements. Finally, the health hazard index for toxic elements present in agricultural soils was evaluated, where the HQ values were negligible and the HI was less than 0.1 (H1 &lt; 0.1) for children and adults.

Evaluation of Geochemical Signature in Soil Sampled from a 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami-stricken Region in Aceh Province Located in the Western Part of Indonesia Using Scanning Electron Microscopy–Energy Dispersive X-ray (SEM-EDX) Spectroscopy and Its Compatibility with X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Measurement

Chemical elements in soil samples collected from the area struck by the massive Indian Ocean tsunami on 26 Dec 2004, were identified using scanning electron microscopy–energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) to find out potential candidates for the geochemical signature of the 2004 Indian Ocean giant tsunami. All tsunami-affected soils were collected from three areas in Aceh Province, Indonesia, the worst stricken region by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004. SEM analysis showed that the damaged soil samples exhibited smaller particles and an inhomogeneous particle size distribution, which could be attributed to dissolved chemical element sedimentation after flooding by tsunami saltwater. Moreover, our findings revealed that the tsunami-affected soil samples contain many chemical elements – including marine signatures (Na, Ca, Mg, K, Al, and Si), terrestrial sources (Ti and Fe), and organic components (C and O). Organic elements detected as oxygen (O) dominated those impacted soils from the Aceh region, accounting for more than half of all samples, followed by carbon (C) and silica (Si). Furthermore, the concentration ratio of a series of elements in those impacted soils – namely, Si/Ti, Si/K, and Fe/Ti – demonstrates values that are exclusively different among the various elements evaluated in this work. The distinguishing difference in the concentration ratios of the elements matches well with X-ray fluorescence (XRF) measurement results. Therefore, the concentration ratios of the elements are good geochemical signatures of marine inundation for identifying the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami soil samples in Aceh Province, Indonesia.

MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL METHODS IN DETERMINING THE SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION OF CHEMICAL ELEMENTS IN SOILS (KUMANOVO REGION, NORTH MACEDONIA)

The results of the distribution of various chemical elements in soil samples from the region of Kumanovo, North Macedonia, are presented. In order to determine the occurrence of chemical elements, soil samples were collected from a total of 51 locations. At each location, soil samples were collected from two layers, topsoil (0–5 cm) and subsoil (20–30 cm), in an area of 5×5 km2. The soil samples were analyzed for 5 elements using two instru-mental methods: inductively coupled plasma – atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) for 17 macroelements (Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, Pb, V, and Zn) and inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for 38 trace elements (Ag, As, Be, Bi, Br, Cd, Ce, Co, Cs, Dy, Er, Eu, Ga, Gd, Ge, Hf, Ho, In, La, Lu, Mo, Nb, Nd, Pr, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Sn, Sr, Ta, Tb, Ti, Tm, W, Y, Yb, and Zr). Factor analysis was applied to analyze the factors affecting the linear combination variables grouped under the same factor. Spatial distribution maps for each factor as well as distribution maps for the analyzed elements were obtained by universal kriging interpolation. It was found that the distribution of most elements follows the lithology of the studied area, except for some elements (As, Pb, and Zn) whose higher contents were found in some specific parts of sub-areas, which is due to the current and past mining activities in the region.

High sensitivity analysis of soil by laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy with Ag nanoparticles

Various studies have been conducted to improve the detection sensitivity of metallic elements in soil using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) by controlling environmental parameters or assisting with other methods, which inevitably increases the cost and complexity of LIBS. In this study, a simple LIBS assisted with self-synthetic Ag nanoparticles enhancement method was proposed to achieve sensitive analysis of the metallic elements in soil samples. The calibration curves of Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn using LIBS and nanoparticle-enhanced LIBS were established. The limits of detection of Fe, Mn, Cu, and Zn in the soil were 28.4 ppm, 6.3 ppm, 0.34 ppm, and 2.4 ppm, respectively, and the relative errors were all below 4%, which were better than those of conventional LIBS. These results show that Ag nanoparticles can promote further development of LIBS elemental analysis in soil.

Heavy metal pollution index calculation in geochemistry assessment: a case study on Playa Las Petroleras.

This work is aimed to assess potential risk associated with the presence of metals and metalloids in soil at "Playa Las Petroleras" sector, located in Antofagasta (Chile). The zone under study has been affected by four oil spill events. This sector is located in an urban area by the sea. So, it has a great social and environmental relevance. The concentrations of 15 elements in soil samples were assessed, four of them presenting potential ecological risk: As, Co, Cu, and Pb. Nine pollution indices were applied to data: four single pollution indices and five integrated pollution indices to assess soil pollution. The single pollution indices show that the site bears potential ecological and environmental risk due to the presence of Cu, the site being classified as highly contaminated owing to a severe enrichment of this metal. For Co, all the indices allow classifying the site as little or uncontaminated, while the level of As and Pb pollution could be considered as ranging from uncontaminated to moderately contaminated. The integrated pollution indices show that average concentrations are highly contaminated mainly owing to the presence of Cu.

Assessment of natural and anthropogenic factors on the distribution of chemical elements in soil from the Skopje region, North Macedonia

The main objective of this study is to present the distribution of different chemical elements in soil samples from the Skopje region, North Macedonia. To determine the level of presence of chemical elements, soil samples are collected from a total of 60 locations. From each location, from an area of 5 × 5 km2 samples of soil are collected: topsoil (0–5 cm) and subsoil (20–30 cm). The soil samples were analyzed for 69 elements by using two instrumental methods: inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) for macro-elements and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for trace elements. A factor analysis was applied to analyze the factors affecting the linear combination variables grouped at the same factor. Spatial distribution maps of each factor as well as distribution maps for the analyzed elements were prepared by universal kriging interpolation. It was found that the distribution of most elements follows the lithology of the examined area, except for some elements (Cd, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Pb, and Zn) whose higher contents are found in the area of the city of Skopje as a result of urban and industrial activities (traffic, metal processing, fossil fuel combustion for heating).

The concentration of radioactive materials in Iraqi soils, water and plants: A review

Evaluation of radionuclide concentration in our environment is beneficial in tracking health problems. In Iraq, several studies regarding the assessment of naturally occurring radionuclide concentration have been performed by many researchers around the country. Here we review the studies performed to evaluate the concentration of radionuclides in Iraqi cities in soil, water and plants. The findings show that the radon and radioactive elements in soil samples are below the international standard limits, except in Sulaimany, Al-Dura thermal power plant, and Basrah where elevated amounts of radioactive elements have been recorded. The total mean values of 238U and 232Th in soil were found to be lower than their values in other selected countries and lower than the world mean value suggested by UNSCEAR. Elevated levels of the mean values of potassium concentrations have been noticed. In water, the radionuclide concentrations were below the international standards in Iraqi cities except for Sulaimany, Karbala, Mosul and Najaf cities. The total mean radionuclides concentration in water was below the values recorded in other countries. Elevated radionuclide concentrations in plants have been recorded, especially for 137Cs. The results confirm the presence of environmental pollution from potassium in the soils of Iraq, as well as a high concentration of radionuclide in plants, especially the presence of the 137Cs in truffles. So, there is an urgent need to purify those regions from radioactive materials.