Surface Soil Contamination Research Articles

90Sr specific activity of teeth of abandoned cattle after the Fukushima accident – teeth as an indicator of environmental pollution

90Sr specific activity in the teeth of young cattle that were abandoned in Kawauchi village and Okuma town located in the former evacuation areas of the Fukushima-Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (FNPP) accident were measured. Additionally, specific activity in contaminated surface soils sampled from the same area was measured. (1) All cattle teeth examined were contaminated with 90Sr. The specific activity, however, varied depending on the developmental stage of the teeth during the FNPP accident; teeth that had started development before the accident exhibited comparatively lower values, while teeth developed mainly after the accident showed higher values. (2) Values of 90Sr-specific activity in teeth formed after the FNPP accident were higher than those of the bulk soil but similar to those in the exchangeable fraction (water and CH3COONH4 soluble fractions) of the soil. The findings suggest that 90Sr was incorporated into the teeth during the process of development, and that 90Sr in the soluble and/or leachable fractions of the soil might migrate into teeth and contribute to the amount of 90Sr in the teeth. Thus, the concentration of 90Sr in teeth formed after the FNPP accident might reflect the extent of 90Sr pollution in the environment.

Sulfur-modified rice husk biochar: A green method for the remediation of mercury contaminated soil

Mercury (Hg) contamination of surface soils has increased by ~86Giga grams due to anthropogenic activities. There is an urgent need to find new, effective and preferably ‘green’ remediation technologies to protect human health and the environment. Sulfur-modification of sorbents can greatly enhance Hg sorption capacity - by forming low solubility HgS (cinnabar). However, S-modified sorbents are not considered suitable for soil remediation due to the economic cost and secondary environmental impacts of sorbents such as granulated activated carbon (GAC), and the toxicity of S-modifiers such as thiol compounds. It was previously found that if biochar is used as an alternative to GAC then the overall environmental impact can be significantly reduced. However, due to a lack of experimental evidence, the practicality of S-modified biochar remains uncertain. The present study was undertaken to provide a proof-of-concept for the ‘green’ remediation of Hg contaminated soils with rice husk biochar modified with non-toxic elemental S. It was found that the S modification process increased the biochar S content from 0.2% to 13.04% via surface deposition or volume pore filling. This increased the biochar's Hg2+ adsorptive capacity (Qmax) by ~73%, to 67.11mg/g. To assess the performance of S-modified rice husk biochar for soil remediation it was applied to a high 1000mg/kg Hg2+ contaminated soil. Treatment dosages of 1%, 2% and 5% (dry wt.) were found to reduce freely available Hg in TCLP (toxicity characterization leaching procedure) leachates by 95.4%, 97.4% and 99.3%, respectively, compared to untreated soil. In comparison, unmodified rice husk biochar reduced Hg concentrations by 94.9%, 94.9% and 95.2% when applied at the same treatment dosage rates, respectively. This study has revealed that S-modified rice husk biochar has potential to stabilize Hg as a ‘green’ method for the remediation of contaminated soils.

Improving human health outcomes with a low-cost intervention to reduce exposures from lead acid battery recycling: Dong Mai, Vietnam

This study details the first comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy of a soil lead mitigation project in Dong Mai village, Vietnam. The village's population had been subject to severe lead poisoning for at least a decade as a result of informal Used Lead Acid Battery (ULAB) recycling. Between July 2013 to February 2015, Pure Earth and the Centre for Environment and Community Development (Hanoi, Vietnam) implemented a multi-faceted environmental and human health intervention. The intervention consisted of a series of institutional and low-cost engineering controls including the capping of lead contaminated surface soils, cleaning of home interiors, an education campaign and the construction of a work-clothes changing and bathing facility. The mitigation project resulted in substantial declines in human and environmental lead levels. Remediated home yard and garden areas decreased from an average surface soil concentration of 3940mg/kg to <100mg/kg. One year after the intervention, blood lead levels in children (<6 years old) were reduced by an average of 67%—from a median of 40.4μg/dL to 13.3μg/dL. The Dong Mai project resulted in significantly decreased environmental and biological lead levels demonstrating that low-cost, rapid and well-coordinated interventions could be readily applied elsewhere to significantly reduce preventable human health harm.

Heavy Metals Contamination and Risk Assessment of Surface Soils of Babol in Northern Iran

Background: Currently there is much concern in the field of soil contamination with heavy metals due to rapid urbanization. Soil contamination significantly reduces environmental quality and affects human health. Objectives: This study was performed to determine the level of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, and Zn in the soils of Babol city in Mazandaran province and to evaluate the pollution indices of heavy metals. Methods: Concentrations of heavy metals in 50 samples of surface soils (5 to 15 cm) in urban and rural areas of Babol city were measured using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). In this study, various indices including contamination factor (Cfi), degree of contamination (Cdeg), Nemerow integrated pollution index (NIPI) and the potential ecological risk (ERi) with heavy metals were assessed. Results: Mean content of As, Pb, Cd, Zn, Cr, Ni, and Co in soil samples of different locations were 6.90±2.60, 31±5.70, 0.32±0.1, 82.80±15, 32.40±8.30, 34.50±7.50, and 22.6±6 mg/kg, respectively. The average content of these metals is ranked in the following descending order: Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Co > As > Cd. The order of contribution of the potential ecological risk by metals was Cd (51.91%) > As (23.75) > Pb (7.61%) > Cr (5.57%) > Co (5.24%) > Zn (3.04%) > NI (2.88%). Conclusions: This study indicated that the risk assessments of the soil samples with heavy metals in the studied locations are categorized from low to moderate degree of contamination.

Reclamation of mine-degraded agricultural soils from metal mining: lessons from 4 years of monitoring activity in Korea

The environmental issues associated with mining have damaged the industry’s substantial global economic value. In particular, the mining industry has a negative legacy of contaminated land. The effective reclamation of contaminated soil is therefore required before former mining land can be further developed for residential and commercial purposes. The objective of this study was to technically evaluate the feasibility of reclamation techniques for agricultural soils contaminated with toxic elements (As, Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn) associated with metal mining. The reclamation methods investigated were covering without stabilization, covering with stabilization, and exchange with stabilization. The thickness of the soil layer used in covering and exchange was in the range of 30–50 cm. Limestone, furnace slag, and a mixture of limestone and furnace slag were applied as soil amendments. After reclamation, the contamination level in surface tillage soils and crops was monitored regularly. Four years of monitoring data revealed that surface soil contamination levels could be maintained at acceptable levels, although at some sites, the metal levels in crops exceeded legislative limits. Soil reclamation at former mining sites in Korea has not yet been perfected, but the results of this study show that there is potential for safe agricultural operations on large sites in a cost-effective manner, as long as the appropriate control of surface soil contamination and adequate agronomic management is undertaken.

An integrated approach for simultaneous immobilization of lead in both contaminated soil and groundwater: Laboratory test and numerical modeling

In this study, we demonstrated the feasibility of an integrated remediation approach for simultaneous immobilization of Pb in both soil and groundwater. The laboratory test was conducted via column experiment by pumping Pb-contaminated groundwater into the pre-amended contaminated surface soils to identify their retention and immobilization ability of Pb. HYDRUS modeling was undertaken to simulate Pb distribution and permissible treatment capacity in the remediation. The experiment results showed that phosphate- and biochar-amended soils were highly effective in removing Pb from contaminated groundwater, with the removal reaching up to 94.2% and 84.5%, respectively. However, phosphate amendment was more effective in immobilizing Pb with TCLP extracted Pb reduced by 18.3%–51.5%, compared to the control, while the reduction for biochar amendment was less than 13.5%. The modeling indicated that phosphate-amended soil could immobilize 509gPbm−2 soil under the environmentally-relevant conditions, given both groundwater and soil quality criteria being met. Our study demonstrated that the integrated system with phosphate amendment is fairly feasible for simultaneous remediation of both Pb-contaminated soil and groundwater.

Impacts of one century of wastewater discharge on soil transformation through ferrolysis and related metal pollutant distributions

Discharge of wastewater leading to notable soil surface contamination is widely reported. But few works highlight the fast dynamics of soils and their morphological transformations that may result from such anthropogenic activities. Near Paris (France), sandy Luvisols were irrigated with urban wastewater since the 1890s. Within and outside the discharge area, the soil cover presents decameter-sized cryogenic structures. We studied macro morphological soil characteristics, soil chemistry and clay mineralogy on selected bulk samples, as well as contemporary pedofeatures and related metal pollutant distribution patterns in soil thin sections from subsurface horizons. Annual repetitive waterlogging and drying cycles initiated a hydromorphic soil forming process: ferrolysis, based on iron reduction producing alkalinity under anaerobic conditions, and iron oxidation producing acidity in aerobic conditions. Its intensity was enhanced at the top of thick clay-rich B-horizons in the center of cryogenic structures. The polygonal soil structure favored the evacuating of soil water and alkalinity. Within one century, such recurrent alternating redox conditions have led to clay destruction, removal of iron, strong bleaching of the E horizon and formation of abiotic Fe-rich pedofeatures at depth. In addition, between anaerobic clay-rich B and aerated E or C horizons, the contrasting hydrodynamic conditions enhanced manganese (Mn) oxidizing fungal activity and the formation of biotic Mn-rich pedofeatures. Both types of pedofeatures trapped metal pollutants in deep soil horizons. In our work, the impacts of centenary anthropogenic activity were amplified by millenary cryogenic structures, acting together to promote fast soil dynamics, within a few decades.

THE AVERAGE ANNUAL EFFECTIVE DOSES FOR THE POPULATION OF THE SETTLEMENTS OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION ATTRIBUTED TO ZONES OF RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION DUE TO THE CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT (FOR THE ZONATION PURPOSES), 2017

The Chernobyl accident in 1986 is one of the most large-scale radiation accidents in the world. It led to radioactive contamination of large areas in the European part of the Russian Federation and at the neighboring countries. Now, there are more than 4000 settlements with the total population of 1.5 million in the radioactively contaminated areas of the Russian Federation. The Bryansk region is the most intensely contaminated region. For example, the Krasnogorskiy district still has settlements with the level of soil contamination by cesium-137 exceeding 40 Ci/km 2 . The regions of Tula, Kaluga and Orel are also significantly affected. In addition to these four regions, there are ten more regions with the radioactively contaminated settlements. After the Chernobyl accident, the affected areas were divided into zones of radioactive contamination. The attribution of the settlements to a particular zone is determined by the level of soil contamination with 137 Cs and by a value of the average annual effective dose that could be formed in the absence of: 1) active measures for radiation protection, and 2) self-limitation in consumption of the local food products. The main regulatory document on this issue is the Federal law № 1244-1 (dated May, 15 1991) “On the social protection of the citizens who have been exposed to radiation as a result of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant”. The law extends to the territories, where, since 1991: 1) the average annual effective dose for the population exceeds 1 mSv (the value of effective dose that could be formed in the absence of active radiation protection measures and self-limitation in consumption of the local food products); 2) soil surface contamination with cesium-137 exceeds 1 Ci/km 2 . The paper presents results of calculations of the average effective doses in 2017. The purpose was to use the dose values (SGED 90 ) in zonation of contaminated territories. Therefore, the calculations have been done under the assumption that the doses were formed in the absence of active radiation protection measures and self-limitation in consumption of the local food products. The dose to population, rather than the density of radioactive contamination of soil by 137 Cs, is the most objective characteristic of the actual radiation exposure to the residents of the contaminated areas.

Persistent Mercury Contamination in Shooting Range Soils: The Legacy from Former Primers.

Mercury (Hg) compounds were used in the past in primers for rifle and handgun ammunition. Despite its toxicity, little is known about the contamination of shooting-range soils with this metal. We present new data about the Hg contamination of surface soils from numerous shooting ranges of Switzerland. Our study demonstrates that Hg is measurable at high levels in surface soils from the shooting ranges. In three of the investigated ranges, concentrations above the maximum Swiss guidance value of Hg in soil of 500µgkg-1 were measured. Since the use of mercury-containing ammunition was stopped in the 1960s, our results demonstrate the high persistence of Hg in soils and their slow recovery by natural mechanisms.

Parasitic contamination of surface and deep soil in different areas of Sari in north of Iran

Parasitic contamination of surface and deep soil in different areas of Sari in north of Iran

First successful isolation of radioactive particles from soil near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant

Abstract The Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant (F1NPP) accident in 2011 released radionuclides into the atmosphere in both aerosol and gaseous form. Subsequent studies of contamination in the environment have focused on the bulk radioactivity in samples. Comparatively little is known about the relative contribution and patterns of soluble versus particulate deposition of the radionuclides. We investigated a sample of heavily contaminated surface soil from a site 20 km northwest of the F1NPP and isolated four radioactive particles from the surrounding soil. These particles had a maximum particle area equivalent diameter of 6.4 μm and a maximum 137Cs radioactivity of 67.5 ± 0.1 Bq per particle. They were larger than the particles identified in aerosol samples shortly after the accident at a location 170 km southwest of the F1NPP. Two of the particles were spherical and two were fragmental. Silicates were a major component of the Fukushima radioactive particles. These characteristics clearly differ from the so-called hot particles observed at the Chernobyl accident in 1986. Clarifying the physical and chemical properties of the radionuclides released from the F1NPP accident is important for assessing the potential long-term impacts to humans.

Contamination of surface soils from a heavy industrial area in the North of Spain

The objective of this study was to assess the soil contamination in the surroundings of a heavy industrial area located in Spain. k0-INAA was used to measure the concentration of 21 elements in soils. The extent of the contamination was evaluated by calculation of the index of geoaccumulation, contamination factor and enrichment factor. A multivariate statistical analysis was used to identify source profiles. This work indicated that the surface soils are affected by airborne supply of elements from natural and anthropogenic sources. Results showed the existence of high levels of contamination for the elements Zn, Sb, As and Br.

Characterization of Urban Soil with SEM-EDX

The coal is largely used for generation of energy in the India, and their huge exploitations cause contamination of the soil. In the present work, the inorganic contamination of surface soil in the coal basin of the country, Korba is described. The concentration of elements i.e. C, O, S, Cl, Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Ti, Fe, Mn and Ni in the surface soils (n = 30) was analysed by technique i.e. scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), ranged from 6.6% - 36.4%, 37.8% - 54.3%, 0.07% - 0.39%, 0.03% - 0.25%, 0.10% - 0.39%, 0.12% - 0.49%, 3.7% - 10.3%, 12.2% - 24.4%, 0.11% - 0.60%, 0.68% - 3.22%, 0.8% - 2.7%, 0.25% - 0.61%, 2.3% - 6.4%, 0.08% - 0.22% and 0.04% - 0.16% with mean value (p = 0.05) of 18.8% ± 2.7%, 49.0% ± 1.5%, 0.18% ± 0.03%, 0.11% ± 0.02%, 0.23% ± 0.03%, 0.32% ± 0.03%, 6.1% ± 0.5%, 16.9% ± 0.9%, 0.27% ± 0.04%, 1.6% ± 0.2%, 1.5% ± 0.2%, 0.41% ± 0.03%, 4.3% ± 0.4%, 0.14% ± 0.02% and 0.08% ± 0.01%, respectively. The surface soil morphology, concentration variation of elements, pollution indices and contaminant sources in the soil are discussed.

Greening Cardiology: Exploring the Sustainability Practices of Healthcare Workers in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory

The lands of Kalipur area are contaminated with industrial wastewater and dust particles. Anticipating a possible health hazard through contaminated food crops with toxic metals like chromium, nickel and cadmium was investigated. The mobilization of metal from rhizosphere soil to plant tissues was calculated to determine the enrichment factors of soil and plants. Scanning Electron Microscope and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy were used for comparative study of surface soil contamination. The Ni, Cr and Cd in soil varied from 24.5 to 44.5, 42.4 to 65.5 and 14.2 to 31.6 μg g-1 enriched by a factor of 3.81, 4.64 and 20.94. Their corresponding values in cultivated plants and weeds were 12.6 ± 1.04 to 44.5 ± 2.84, 26.3 ± 1.64 to 67.5 ± 4.82 and 6.6 ± 0.84 to 22.3 ± 1.46 μg g-1 dry wt. enriched by a factor of 7.49, 6.89 and 22.08 respectively. All these metals are causing toxicity of soil while in plant tissues exceed the phytotoxicity limit and fall in the critical range. The causes of wide variation in metal uptake and accumulation in above ground plant parts and how weeds are growing luxuriously in spite of pollution and metal stress condition through evolution are well explained. Thus our study suggests that there is a health risk due to consumption of plants containing higher amounts of toxic metals resulting in asymptomatic chronic disorders in humans and cattle.

Contamination of soil and grass in the Tsumeb smelter area, Namibia: Modeling of contaminants dispersion and ground geochemical verification

The area of the city of Tsumeb in northern Namibia is strongly affected by gaseous emissions and by dust fallout from the local smelter. This is also reflected in increased concentrations of lead and arsenic in blood and urine of the residents. Consequently, modeling of the dispersion of dust and SO2 emissions from the smelter was used in this study to delineate the contaminated area and to assess the health risks. The modeling results were verified by ground-based geochemical survey of soil and grass in the area. The results of modeling revealed that the concentrations of SO2 in the Tsumeb town were relatively low, whereas the highest dust fallout concentrations were found around the Tsumeb smelter. The Tsumeb town residential area was less affected due to favorable landscape morphology between the smelter and the city (the Tsumeb Hills).The results of modeling of dust fallout and geochemical survey coincided very well. Since the anthropogenic contamination was bound only to the surface layer of soil, the local soils were sampled at two depth horizons: topsoil and the deeper soil horizon. This enabled us to distinguish between the anthropogenic contamination of soil surface from natural (geogenic) concentrations of studied metals in the deeper part of the soil profile. Concentrations of metals in grass correlated with the concentration of metals in topsoil.In contrast to a good conformity with the modeling of dust fallout from the smelter and geochemical survey, the results of modeling of SO2 contents in the air, and total sulfur content in soils were different. Differences can be explained by additional sources of contamination, as for example a sulfate-rich dust fallout from local tailings ponds and slag dumps that were not considered in the SO2 dispersion model.The results of the present investigation can be used by the mining companies in the management of air quality, assessment of the efficacy of applied remediation measures, and in reducing the impact of dust fallout on the local ecosystem. The Municipal Administration may use these results to plan further development of the city of Tsumeb, especially in terms of further expansion of housing construction.

Residential surface soil guidance values applied worldwide to the original 2001 Stockholm Convention POP pesticides

Surface soil contamination is a worldwide problem. Many regulatory jurisdictions attempt to control human exposures with regulatory guidance values (RGVs) that specify a soil's maximum allowable concentration. Pesticides are important soil contaminants because of their intentional toxicity and widespread surface soil application. Worldwide, at least 174 regulatory jurisdictions from 54 United Nations member states have published more than 19,400 pesticide RGVs for at least 739 chemically unique pesticides. This manuscript examines the variability of the guidance values that are applied worldwide to the original 2001 Stockholm Convention persistent organic pollutants (POP) pesticides (Aldrin, Chlordane, DDT, Dieldrin, Endrin, Heptachlor, Mirex, and Toxaphene) for which at least 1667 RGVs have been promulgated. Results indicate that the spans of the RGVs applied to each of these pesticides vary from 6.1 orders of magnitude for Toxaphene to 10.0 orders of magnitude for Mirex. The distribution of values across these value spans resembles the distribution of lognormal random variables, but also contain non-random value clusters. Approximately 40% of all the POP RGVs fall within uncertainty bounds computed from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) RGV cancer risk model. Another 22% of the values fall within uncertainty bounds computed from the USEPA's non-cancer risk model, but the cancer risk calculations yield the binding (lowest) value for all POP pesticides except Endrin. The results presented emphasize the continued need to rationalize the RGVs applied worldwide to important soil contaminants.

Post-accident response of near-surface 129I levels and 129I/127I ratios in areas close to the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant, Japan

The deposition density and extent of subsurface infiltration of 129I were investigated within the area highly contaminated by the March 2011 accident at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (FDNPP) in Japan. Depth profiles of 129I activity and 129I/127I ratios were measured in 5-cm-long soil cores that were collected 20–27months after the accident from three sites (S-1, S-2, and S-3) within 10km to the west and northwest of the FDNPP. These profiles were compared with the background levels of 129I from the same areas. The deposition densities of 129I were 2.17Bqm−2 at S-1, 0.80Bqm−2 at S-2, and 1.41Bqm−2 at S-3, which are, respectively, about 160, 60, and 100 times larger than the background level (12.8–14.8mBqm−2). The average 129I/127I ratios in each soil core after the accident (S-1: 2.1×10−6; S-2: 4.2×10−7; S-3: 2.3×10−6) were similar to the value typically found in contaminated surface soil within 80km of the FDNPP. Therefore, accident-derived 129I deposited at S-1 (4.3km west of the FDNPP) was 2.7 times larger than at S-2 (8.2km west of the FDNPP), and 1.5 times larger than at S-3 (7.5km northwest of the FDNPP). Depth profiles showed that the 129I activity and 129I/127I ratios decayed exponentially with depth. ∼90% of accident-derived 129I deposited in the soil cores was concentrated in the upper 25.2–26.4kgm−2 of mass depth (2.1–3.1cm depth). The relaxation mass depths (h0) of 129I were 9.49–11.2kgm−2 at the three sampling sites, and these values are comparable to those of accident-derived 131I (10.4kgm−2) at a site 40km northwest of the FDNPP.

Lead Contamination of Surface Soils in Philadelphia from Lead Smelters and Urbanization

Abstract Lead contamination was introduced into U.S. surface soils at high concentrations during the last century, mainly as a result of lead-based paints and leaded gasoline products. Although these products have not been available or used since the 1995 ban on lead additives in gasoline for automobiles, lead continues to remain in the surface soils of inner cities. Lead (Pb) is a neurotoxin that has been linked to violence and reduced intelligence in children from long-term exposure to contaminated soils. Philadelphia is a city with a history of industrialization and provided a home to several Pb smelters, which extracted Pb from minerals and recycled Pb-waste to use in manufacturing these commercial products. Soils were analyzed in former industrial and non-industrial locations within Philadelphia. Overall, Pb concentrations were found to be higher at locations near former lead smelters than residential sites. Pb concentrations were also elevated in a soil sample adjacent to an old home with visibly we...

Analysis of regulatory guidance values for six commonly regulated chlorophenols

Regulatory guidance values (RGVs) are developed by regulators to protect human health by establishing maximum allowable contaminant concentrations. Contamination of residential surface soil is of particular concern because of its potential impact on the general population, especially children. As part of an ongoing examination of soil RGVs, this study analyses guidance values applied to chlorophenols, a class of chemicals used as pesticides, herbicides, and disinfectants. Chlorophenol RGVs have been promulgated by at least 45 US states, 38 United Nations member states, four Native American tribes, five federal agencies, and several city, county, and territorial jurisdictions. An analysis of the six most commonly regulated chlorophenols (2-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol, 2,4,6-trichlorophenol, 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol, and pentachlorophenol) demonstrates that there is great variability in the guidance values, which vary by six to eight orders of magnitude and have distributions similar to those of lognormal random variables. Clearly, there is little universal agreement on the appropriate maximum contamination levels for chlorophenols.

Heavy metals and radionuclide status and characterisation of pre-mined soils in Serule, North East Botswana

Characterisation of soils and establishment of heavy metal and radionuclide concentrations prior to mining disturbance provides an essential benchmark for post-mining reclamation. Land disturbance from uranium mining could result in metal contamination of surface soils with subsequent negative impacts on soil quality and human and ecosystem health. This soil characterization study was conducted because there is no background data of soil trace metals and radionuclide for this region. These benchmark data are essential for post-mining monitoring and possible future remediation. The planned conventional open pit mine will produce 15,000 and 50,000 tonnes (ore and waste rock) per day. The envisaged overburden and waste dumps are likely to enhance potential for heavy metal contamination of soils. To establish the baseline data and pre-mining site environmental conditions, (1) the physico-chemical properties of soils and (2) potential heavy metal and radionuclide pollutants in identified different sites were determined. The sampling sites were selected based on the variation in soil classes in the study area. The physico-chemical properties were measured using the standard methods while heavy metals were analysed using a Finnigan MAT Element 2 high resolution Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer. The following heavy metals and radionuclides were determined: Th, U, Sr, Ba, Be, Cd, Pb, V, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Co. Most soils are predominately sandy clay (>17.2 %) suggesting their suitability for agricultural use. The results also indicate that most heavy metals were at or below expected ranges for non-contaminated soils and there was no evidence of any geochemical anomalies.