Distribution Pattern Of Heavy Metals Research Articles

APPLICATION OF SOME SINGLE AND INTEGRATED INDEX EQUATION TO ASSESS HEAVY METAL IN DIFFERENT SOILS IN ERBIL GOVERNORATE

The aim of this study was to application of some single and integrated index equation to assess heavy metal in different soil within Erbil governorate. The 15 different locations (Bahare new, Newroz, New Hawler, Hesarok, Azadi1, Zen city, Atconz city, Pank village, Binaslawa, Darato, Qushtapa, Shaways, Kasnazan, Bahirka, Pirzin) were specifically selected to identify the effects of traffic activities on soil properties. Different heavy metal distribution patterns (As, Cd, Cu, Cr and Zn) were determined from distance 5, 25, 50m roadside. Soil pollution was assessed using many indices including: contamination factor (CF), degree of contamination (Cdeg), Ecological Risk Factor and Potential Ecological Risk Index.The results showed that concentrations of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, and Zn in street dust ranged from (4.60, 1.80, 217.83, 62.14 and 215.18) mg.kg-1 which recorded in Qushtapa, Kasnazan, Atconze city, Hasarok5 and Zen city respectively. The contamination factor and degree of contamination of the trace elements As, Cd, Cr, Cu ,and Zn of soil samples was indicating considerable contamination factor for Qushtapa moderate contamination factor for Kasnazan, while Atconze city, Hasarok5, Zen city showed very high contamination factor, while degree of contamination considerable low degree of contamination. According to the ecological risk factor and RI results Qwshtapa was indicate as low potential ecological risk, Kasnazan had moderate potential ecological risk while Hasarok5 and Zen city considerable high potential ecological risk, except Atconze considerable very high ecological risk, on the other hand for RI index shown considerable very high ecological risk recorded in Hasarok 5 soil samples.

Geology and distribution of heavy metals in topsoil, Kuala Krai, Kelantan

The study for geology of Guchil, Kuala Krai, Kelantan was carried out approximately 25 km2 in and around Guchil. Preliminary research and field studies conducted to produce geological map of Guchil, Kuala krai, Kelantan. Based on the field study carried, carbonaceous mudstone interbedded with greywacke sandstone, shale and ignimbrite distribution of rock found in this study. Meanwhile, investigation on distribution and potential heavy metals (Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn) in topsoil Guchil, Kuala Krai, Kelantan was conducted. Total of nine soil sample in and around Guchil undergo soil digestion and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The heavy metals concentration in the topsoil was varied between 21176-138962; 649-8411; 11-505; 43-455; and 11-115 mg/kg for Fe, Pb, Mn, Zn and Cu respectively. The average concentration of heavy metals in this study followed the order of Fe > Pb > Mn > Zn > Cu. The spatial distribution pattern shows similar distribution pattern of heavy metals in residential area. The concentration of Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb and Zn from the soil samples compared with naturally occurring value of contaminated land management and control guidelines of Department of Environment Malaysia (DOE), 2009 and Barceloux (1999) as well as with permissible limit values in soil of Polish Ministry of the Environment, 2002. From this assessment method, highly potential element was Pb followed by Zn and Cu. Besides that soil characteristic of this study shows that soil pH which is acidic condition with low total organic matter. The soil fractions tend to dominated by clay fraction in topsoil.

Bioaccumulation of heavy metals in Stachys inflata and Scariola orientalis affected by particulate matters of a cement factory in central Iran.

Industrial activities can affect accumulation of pollutants (e.g., heavy metals (HMs)) by plants and influence their entrance to the food chain. This research was carried out on accumulation of HMs including chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) by two plants Stachys inflata and Scariola orientalis grown in natural grasslands in vicinity of a national park where they are influenced by dispersion of particulate matter (PM) through Sarooj Cement Factory in central Iran. The PM spatial dispersion of the factory was determined using the AERMOD model. Soil and vegetation samples were collected based on the modeled PM levels to analyze their HM contents. Bioconcentration factor (BCF) and transfer factor (TF) from root to shoot were determined in two widespread plants of the region: Stachys inflata and Scariola orientalis. The mean concentration of HMs in the soil samples was as follows: Zn (145.39 mg/kg) > Pb (78.52 mg/kg) > Cr (32.69 mg/kg) which was significantly correlated with simulated PM concentrations. This indicated the common source and distribution pattern of HMs which affected their accumulation in plants. TF and BCF values of the HMs were higher in Scariola orientalis than those of Stachys inflata, especially for Cr showing potentially higher risk to enter the food chain. The results showed that HM concentration in the soil as well as their accumulation by plants were correlated with the simulated PM deposition and not with linear distance from the factory.

Biomonitoring of heavy metal contamination with roadside trees from metropolitan area of Hefei, China.

Air and dust borne heavy metals can be deposited and bioaccumulated by plants; therefore, biomonitoring employing plants is an effective tool for environmental impact assessment in urban environments. In this study, in addition to road dust, leaves and bark were collected from four common tree species at roadside and urban park sampling sites within the metropolitan area of Hefei, China. A range of heavy metals were analyzed by ICP-MS and AFS. The metal accumulation index (MAI) was adopted to compare the bioaccumulation capacity. Results showed that Cd was highly enriched in road dust although its abundance was low in comparison with that of other elements. The MAI values presented a narrow range (1.8-2.7); however, significant differences (p < 0.05) were found for Al, Cu, Zn, and As among the tree species. Moreover, deciduous Platanus orientalis bioaccumulated more nonessential As than the other species and deserved further risk management. In addition, bark samples from Cinnamomum camphora bioaccumulated more heavy metals than the other species as a result of its morphological and anatomical characteristics. The distribution patterns of heavy metals in tree tissues showed obvious spatial heterogeneity, as impacted by anthropogenic activities to varying degrees. This study examined the biomonitoring potential of roadside trees and the distribution pattern of heavy metals in an urban area under rapid development. Results from the present study could provide baseline data for urban environmental impact assessment and the design of green belts.

HMCA-Contour: A Visual Basic Program Based on Surfer Automation for Soil Heavy Metal Spatial Distribution and Contamination Assessment Mapping

Soil heavy metal contamination has become a major concern in many parts of the world. Grasping the spatial distribution patterns of heavy metals and evaluating soil heavy metal contamination are of great significance to policy makers for land use planning and pollution identification. However, these processes usually involve repetitive calculation and plotting, which are time-consuming and laborious, especially in a geochemical survey. In this paper, HMCA-Contour, which is a program written in Visual Basic based on Surfer 13.0, has been designed to simplify the pollution indices recalculation and plotting routines. This software is comprised of three functions, i.e., data processing, plotting, and template setting. With user-friendly interfaces, the user can easily and efficiently calculate pollution indices and generate batch publication-quality maps of heavy metal spatial distribution and pollution levels. To demonstrate the advantage of HMCA-Contour, a case study from the Gaerqin Mine area is used in this paper. HMCA-Contour, as a brand new software, is promising and will become a useful tool for environmental management.

Evaluation of carbonate crash and contents of heavy metals and rare earth elements in ditch cutting samples from some oil wells of Niger Delta, Nigeria

This study was carried out to evaluate the extent of carbonate crash in some Niger Delta oil wells and the levels of heavy metals (HMs) and rare earth elements (REEs) as useful fingerprinting tools in the characterization of the oil wells. Thirty-nine (39) rock samples were collected from three (3) oil wells in the Niger Delta, Nigeria. The carbonate contents were determined using Chittick apparatus while the elemental concentrations were determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Results of the study indicated that the carbonate contents of the rock samples decreased with increasing depth, due to a possible higher-than-average dissolution of CaCO3 and/or excess bio-SiO2 production. Among the investigated HMs, manganese had the highest mean concentration while nickel had the lowest mean concentration. Cerium had the highest mean concentration while lanthanum had the lowest mean concentration among the REEs. Mean V/Ni ratios of Oil Well 1 (3.21) indicated marine organic matter input while Oil Well 2 (2.47), and Oil Well 3 (2.16) indicated organic matter input of both marine and terrestrial sources. V/(V + Ni) ratios (>0.5) of the oil wells indicated that the organic matter was deposited under anoxic conditions. Variations in the distribution patterns of HMs, REEs, and carbonate content of the rock samples of Niger Delta oil wells indicated that the organic matter source and depositional environment were quite similar.

Ecological and geological soil assessment of the Loshamye Lake catchment area (national park “Smolensk Lakeland”)

The authors conducted the ecological and geochemical study of Lake Loshamye and adjacent territories (national park “Smolensk Lakeland”) to identify the distribution patterns of heavy metals and their associations (Hg, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, Sr, etc.) in soils of the lake’s catchment area. In 2008, the annual monitoring by the national park revealed abnormally high concentrations of mercury in the water of Lake Loshamye (20 MPC). In subsequent years, the mercury concentration decreased to the minimum natural level. A set of studies in the catchment area and in the lake itself established a probable technogenic source and determined the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the impact. Scientists studied the soil of the catchment area of the lake to verify the version of the pollutant intake from outside. The article presents the results of the study, a set of mathematical methods of information processing. Authors conducted a correlation, factor and cluster analysis to identify patterns of distribution of heavy metals in soils. Peculiarities of the distribution of most elements in the soil today indicate the presence of a low technogenic impact on the soils of the Lake Loshamye basin regarding the formation of low-contrast anomalies Cu, As, Mn, Pb and Cr, Hg. Patterns of the distribution of heavy metals including mercury in soils and their concentration have natural character. The gross mercury content in soils is significantly lower than the MPC (2100 μg/kg), the median of the sample is 42 μg/kg, which practically corresponds to the world Clark of mercury in soils (40 μg/kg). The research results show that the soils of the lake’s catchment area do not bear traces of anthropogenic impact. This suggests that there are no sources of contamination with mercury and other heavy metals in the study area, and this area is not a transit hub for the movement of the pollutant from the outside, and in 2008 there was probably salvo-type pollution directly into the lake’s water.

Pb heavy metal distribution patterns in seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii) cultivation locations by season in Bantaeng Waters, South Sulawesi

Heavy metals found in the waters can be absorbed and accumulated in the seaweed thallus. Heavy metals affect plants by changing the position of essential ions in cells. Seaweed is useful in absorbing heavy metals so that the heavy metals contaminating the water can enter the seaweed thallus. This research was conducted at the seaweed cultivation location in the coastal waters of Bantaeng Regency, South Sulawesi. The method used is a survey and laboratory testing. Each location is determined by 3 substations (short, medium, and long-distance). Water and seaweed sampling at each station are carried out twice a month. Pb heavy metal analysis from water and seaweed samples was carried out in the laboratory of the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of Hasanuddin University. Distribution pattern of Pb heavy metal content with spatial analysis of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) based on a mapping approach. The results showed that the concentration of Pb heavy metals in waters during the rainy season ranged from 0.25 to 0.98 ppm and during the dry season ranged from 0.20 to 1.13 ppm, whereas seaweed in the wet season ranged from 4.64 to 7.00 ppm and in the dry season ranged from 1.20 to 20.87 ppm. Pb heavy metal distribution patterns in waters and seaweed are high in areas close to the coast and low in areas far from the coast. The average concentration of Pb heavy metals in waters and seaweed is higher in the dry season than in the rainy season. The content of Pb heavy metal in water has exceeded the threshold for the designation of fishery water 0.08 ppm (KEP. MENLH N0 51, 2004). The content of Pb heavy metals in seaweed has passed the threshold for food 2.0 ppm.

Bioaccumulation and distribution pattern of heavy metals in aquaculture systems found in Arusha and Morogoro regions of Tanzania

ABSTRACT The assessment of the current distribution and concentrations of As, Pb, Hg, Cd, and Cr in farmed catfish and tilapia, fish feed, and pond sediment in Tanzania is important in order to establish the potential dietary exposure to heavy metals from aquaculture sources. Thirteen fish ponds were selected from each of the 10 sites (villages) studied in Arusha and Morogoro regions. Representative samples collected were analysed using polarised energy-dispersive x-ray fluorescence (PED-XRF) spectrometer. Human health risk from fish consumption was established by calculating the estimated daily intakes (EDI), target hazard quotients (THQ), total hazard indices (HI), and carcinogenic risk (CR) of the heavy metals. Arusha had the highest concentrations (dry weight) of As (2.49–4.75 mg/kg) in the fish feed. Morogoro had the highest concentrations of Hg (1.65–2.69 mg/kg), Pb (4.59–5.64 mg/kg), and Cd (1.99–3.97 mg/kg) for sediment, fish feed, and fish muscles, respectively. Cr was the most accumulated heavy metal in the fish muscles sampled in Arusha (4.61–9.50 mg/kg) and Morogoro (2.53–5.57 mg/kg). Concentrations and EDI calculated based on mean fish consumption of 22.1 g per person per day by a 60 kg Tanzanian adult found heavy metal intakes were below the recommended daily dietary allowance (RDA) while THQ values were lower than 1, indicating no health risk related to consumption of the fish. The estimated HI was greater than 1, suggesting a potential significant non-carcinogenic health risk. The CR values were below 10−4, indicating no carcinogenic health risk in humans from fish consumption. This study recommends continued surveillance given potential bioaccumulation of these heavy metals in fish.

Heavy Metals in Citrus Fruits as Affected by Primary Treated Sewage Irrigation

Water recycling and reuse of adequate treated wastewater can be considered as supplementary water resources and an alternative for irrigation, particularly in the arid and semi-arid countries for improving the fertility of the sandy soi1and to fulfill the Millennium Development Goals. In Egypt, sewage irrigation farms are only allowed for irrigating woody trees. In the present study very limited experimental area in this experimental farm was planted with Citrus fruits for a short period. This work aims to investigate the distribution pattern of heavy metals in the different parts of citrus trees. Monthly samples of different types of irrigation water (treated wastewater, groundwater, and fresh canal water) were collected. Both physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal concentration were evaluated. Different citrus plant samples and fruits from three different species of citrus trees were collected from the sewage farm as well as the farms irrigated with groundwater and Canal water. All citrus tree samples were partitioned into: leaves, stem and citrus fruit. The fruits were divided to the outer crust, and squeezed juice. The results showed that the level of metals in treated wastewater was within the permissible limits; however the citrus trees irrigated by this water were the highest in metals accumulation. One important notice is that the toxic metals including Cd, Pb, Ni, Cr in all cases were at the lowest and/or below detection limit, particularly, in the citrus juice. The outer crust of the citrus fruits contained the second lowest level of all metal. Thus, the citrus fruits showed no accumulation of heavy metals. This could be explained by the fact that heavy metals were up taken by the roots and only smaller fractions were trans-located to the other parts of the tree. The essential nutrient metals including Fe, Mn, and Zn were accumulated mostly by leaves and stems. It was concluded that heavy metal accumulated differently according to the plant species, and the part of the tree and fruit. Such fluctuations are governed by the irrigating water, pH of the soil, plant uptake and/or water-soil-to-plant transfer factors. Other factors include temperature, moisture, organic matter, phosphorous content and the availability of the other nutrient elements and/or water-soil-to-plant transfer factors. The present experimental study showed that the primary treated wastewater should not be used for irrigating any edible plant.

Pollution indices and distribution pattern of heavy metals in Qarun Lake water, Egypt

Pollution indices and distribution pattern of heavy metals in Qarun Lake water, Egypt

Environmental Geochemistry of Heavy Metals and Plagioclase Background Enrichment Factor in Coastal Sediments at Lumpue - Parepare, South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Lumpue Beach is an urban area in Parepare Bay with a harbour, tourism, and a landfill site. The purpose of this research was to determine the provenance, level and distribution of heavy metals in coastal sediments. Surface sediment samples were analysed for grain size, mineragraphy, petrography and total heavy metal content (Cu, Zn, Pb, Co, Ni, Fe). The minimum-maximum background enrichment factor (EF) range was calculated from the plagioclase mineral content of trachyte porphyry and andesite. Weathering alteration was quite high in trachyte porphyry rocks; andesite mineragraphy produced predominantly sedimentary plagioclase (25-45%), hornblende (10-40%), and rock fragments (40-45%). The grab sampling method produced samples dominated by plagioclase (30-50%), hornblende (15-40%) and alkaline chemical conditions were important in Fe, Ni, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Cu enrichment. Enrichment of heavy metals was supported by the mesokurtic-very leptokurtic dynamic sorting characteristics of Lumpue beach, becoming very leptokurtic - platykurtic to the north (Parepare Bay). The enrichment factor (EF) of Pb > 1 was calculated from the concentration of various non-earth sources. The order of heavy metal concentration based on EF 0.5 ≤ EF ≤ 1.5 was Pb> Zn> Cr> Fe> Cu> Ni, with Cu ≤ 0.5, indicating heterogeneous heavy metal sources correlated with urban area, river and ultrabasic regional lithology, with Trachyte-andesite alteration, especially enrichment in heavy metals Ni, Cr, Cu. Index of geoaccumulation (Igeo) was in the ranges: uncontaminated to heavily contaminated for Fe; uncontaminated to moderately contaminated for Cu, Zn, Ni, Cr and Cd; and uncontaminated for Pb. The intensity of heavy metal contamination followed the direction of sedimentation from various sources. Euclidian Cluster distance showed heavy metal distribution patterns correlated with rivers passing through urban areas and with regional geological lithology.

Spatial distribution, source apportionment and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in the sediments of Haizhou Bay national ocean park, China

Haizhou Bay National Ocean Park is the first national ocean park in China. Consequently, the investigation of the spatial distribution characteristics, source apportionment, and ecological risks associated with heavy metals in this area is of great significance. Twelve sediment samples were collected in October 2016, and the geoaccumulation index (Igeo) method and the potential ecological risk index (PERI) method were used to assess the ecological risk. The results showed that the concentrations of the heavy metals (except Cr and Cu) in the surface sediments of the study area met the primary standard of marine sediment quality (GB18668-2002). The spatial distribution pattern of heavy metals in the surface sediments of Haizhou Bay National Ocean Park featured high concentrations in the southwestern region and low concentrations in the northeastern region, with a gradual decrease with increasing distance offshore, indicating that anthropogenic activities were the main source of heavy metal pollution. The evaluation results of the Igeo and PERI methods showed that Cd was the element posing the greatest ecological risk and that the ecological risk level in Haizhou Bay National Ocean Park corresponded to moderately contaminated. These findings indicate that effective management strategies should be developed to protect the marine environmental quality.

Impact of Drain Effluent on Surficial Sediments in the Mediterranean Coastal Wetland: Sedimentological Characteristics and Metal Pollution Status at Lake Manzala, Egypt

Surface sediments were collected from Lake Manzala, the Mediterranean coastal wetland located to the east of the Nile Delta, Egypt, to assess the effect of drain effluent on the spatial variations of sedimentary characteristics and heavy metal pollution. Grain-size compositions, textures, and heavy metal distribution patterns in sediments are presented using GIS technique. Results of the analysis of the sediment showed a clear effect of drain effluent, with an increase in fine fractions and homogeneous suspensions in transportation mode. Lake sediments were dominated by sandy mud textures, and mode of transportation was homogeneous suspension and rolling. Spatial distribution of heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cr, and Pb) was studied in the lake’s surficial sediments, along with their relationship to drain effluent and their contamination status in the ecological system. Heavy metal pollution status was assessed by means of accepted sediment quality guidelines and contamination assessment methods (contamination factor, contamination degree, modified contamination degree, geo-accumulation, and enrichment factor). Among the determined heavy metals, Pb had the most ecological risk. Generally, the heavy metals in the surface sediments indicated pollution risk ranging from moderate to considerable, particularly, in those sites facing drains and inlets that had the highest toxic effluent. The results were interpreted by statistical means. A cluster analysis defined areas facing drain discharge and inlets as separated groups. ANOVA indicated that most of the sedimentation and studied metals directed this clustering.

Determination of the Sediment Contamination Level in Dangli Waters of Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark, Kedah, Malaysia

Dangli Waters ecosystem is located at the north of Langkawi UNESCO Global Geopark. Apparently, this area is currently experiencing a significant deterioration of marine habitat. Therefore, 14 stations were set up in this study area to investigate the sediment for metal contents discharged into Dangli Waters using the ecological risk assessment. The sediment samples were collected during four seasons, namely South West Monsoon, First Inter Monsoon, North East Monsoon and Second Inter Monsoon. The spatial distribution pattern of heavy metals in sediment was properly determined as well as the seasonal variation of the contamination. From the results obtained, the average concentration of each heavy metal distributed in the surface sediment of Dangli Waters can be written in decreasing order as Fe>Cr>As>Co>Cd. From the observation, heavy metal concentrations of As was recorded the most higher profiles near to the cement plant production area. Meanwhile, for the pattern of seasonal changes, FIM season was defined as the season with higher concentrations of all metals in the surface sediment compared to other seasons. This is due to highly rainfall distribution and water runoff during this period, leading an increase of sediment deposition into the Dangli Waters. According to the contamination factor (Cf) for each metal, it was shown that some heavy metals such as As were at a risky level with the Cf value was higher than 6 (Cf >6). However, the degree of contamination (Cd) for each station was classified as moderate (7 ≤ Cd < 14), except for ST2 which showed a low degree of contamination.

Identification of anthropogenic contributions to heavy metals in wetland soils of the Karuola Glacier in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Deciphering apportionments of natural and anthropogenic sources to metal concentrations are essential for better understanding impacts of human activities on metal element distribution in remote alpine wetlands. In the present work, we investigated heavy metal distribution patterns and identified the substantial contributions from anthropogenic sources on heavy metal concentrations in wetland soils of the Karuola Glacier in Tibet using a geochemical model and lead isotopes. Mean iron (Fe), aluminum (Al), and scandium (Sc) concentrations were similar to their background values and manganese (Mn) was lower than that. Concentrations of copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), and chromium (Cr) were much higher than their background values. Cd was the main contaminant because more than 87.7% of Cd was anthropogenic. Al, Pb, and Sc showed significant positive correlations between each other, Cr and Mn concentrations were significantly and negatively correlated with Fe concentrations. No significant correlations were observed among Fe, Pb, Cu, Cd, and Zn. Three components were extracted by factor analysis. Al, Fe, Sc, Cr, and Mn were related primarily to the parent material, Pb in soils was from both endogenous and exogenous sources, and Cd, Zn, and Cu were considerably or mostly from anthropogenic sources. Endogenous sources represented about 59.85%–81%, 69.3%, 12.3%, and 58.1% for total Pb, Cu, Cd, and Zn in soils. Metal accumulation fluxes have been increasing over the past 200 years. Lead isotopic features showed that most anthropogenic Pb was attributed to Pb-Zn ore smelting and coal consumption.

Monitoring and assessment of sediment contamination with toxic heavy metals: case study of industrial effluent dispersion in Alaro River, Nigeria

The influx of effluents from industrial area into the Alaro River in Ibadan has made the investigation of the sediment quality of the river an important environmental issue for discussion. The objective of this study was to determine the concentrations of toxic heavy metals in surface sediment of the river in order to evaluate the impact of the effluent and spatial distribution of the metals downstream. pH, total organic carbon and grain-sized particles of the sediment samples were determined according to standard methods of analysis, while heavy metal concentrations were determined by AAS. Linear least square regression (LLSR) model was employed to describe the distribution pattern of heavy metals along the river network. Hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to locate the heavy metals contamination source and interpret the association between the metal concentrations upstream and downstream, which were found to be significantly different (p = 0.05) The concentrations of Ni, Zn, Cr, Co, Cu, Cd and Pb in downstream sediments were 7.74 ± 0.97, 19.5 ± 4.6, 5.78 ± 0.47, 9.6 ± 1.6. 7.36 ± 0.61, 0.47 ± 0.03 and 7.76 ± 0.80 mg/kg, respectively. The enrichment factor (EF > 1.5) and pollution load index (PLI > 1.0.) showed that the sediment was contaminated with these heavy metals. The toxicity estimation carried out suggested that the sediment was slightly toxic. Metal distribution as shown by LLSR was such that the concentration decreased with distance downstream with R2 ranging from 0.8810 to 0.9990. The LLSR models obtained are useful to predict the metal concentrations based on the known distance of the river.

Distribution Pattern of Heavy Metals in Roadside Topsoils around the Rasht-Qazvin Freeway

Distribution Pattern of Heavy Metals in Roadside Topsoils around the Rasht-Qazvin Freeway

Heavy metals in coastal sediments of South Caspian Sea: natural or anthropogenic source?

This paper focuses on heavy metal distribution patterns in sediments of central Guilan (CG) and east Mazandaran (EM) in the south Caspian Sea coasts, north of Iran. Sediment sub-samples were retrieved from core and surficial samples in different environments of marine and coastal lagoons as well as coastal outcrops. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-MS and ICP-AES) analysis were used to determine the metal chemistry. Concentration of the selected heavy metals exhibited variations through sediment samples which are partially related to grain size and organic matter content. Geoaccumulation index and statistical procedures have been implemented for analyzing the absolute metal values. Result of the geoaccumulation index demonstrated that the metal distribution reflects the influence of geological background of the watershed area. Some elements including Pb, Ni, Cu, Sr and Ba showed elevated concentration in the CG that could be attributed to development of industrial activities. A comparison of the metal concentration in the marine sediments and the Late Holocene outcrops revealed that the level of the metals concentration at the sea generally corresponds to natural background. The northern part of Iranian multi-lithological catchments basin is the main source for the sediments that drained by the rivers to the South Caspian Sea basin

Spatial Distribution of Heavy Metals in the Surface Sediments of the Southern Coast of Pacitan, Indonesia

This study was conducted to analyze the spatial distribution of heavy metals from four different coastal areas in southern Pacitan, Indonesia: Pantai Watu Karung (WK), Pantai Teleng Ria (TL), Pantai Pancer (TP) dan Pantai Soge (SG). Data collected in this study included: temperature, salinity, DO, pH, sediment, organic matter and heavy metals in the sediments (Pb, Hg and Cd). The results showed different distribution patterns of heavy metals. Heavy metal concentrations, especially Pb and Hg, were found to be higher in Pantai Soge, while the concentration of Cd was higher in Pantai Pancer. An ANOVA test showed the distributions of Pb and Cd were significantly different (p &lt; 0.01) between sampling sites. Variability of the physicochemical parameters influenced the variabilities of heavy metal concentrations among sampling sites. Overall, heavy metal concentrations in the study areas are rather low; however, attention is still needed due to heavy activities in the coastal areas of southern Pacitan that can contribute to heavy metal pollution.