Assessment of environmental indices for soil lead contamination in a part of Shahr-e-Ray, Tehran Province

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran

Abstract

The rapid development of industry and economy has led to the entry of environmental pollutants, particularly heavy metals, into the soil, raising concerns among the global community regarding public health and food security. Consequently, the awareness and assessment of these elements have become significant in predicting hazards and related diseases, as well as establishing soil quality standards. This study aimed to quantify lead (Pb) contamination using various environmental indices in a part of Shahr-e-Ray, Tehran Province. To achieve this, 44 composite soil samples were collected from the 0-20 cm soil depth. After sample preparation, some physical and chemical properties were measured using standard methods, and the total concentration of lead in the soil was determined using the Aqua Regia method. Three environmental indices, including the Enrichment Factor, Geoaccumulation Index, and Contamination Factor, were employed to assess the potential risk of lead contamination. The results indicated that all examined samples exceeded the standard and recommended limit for lead concentration in Iran, with an average of 135.99 mg/kg. In term of the Geoaccumulation Index, the samples exhibited a range of (2.46-2.90), categorizing them in the moderately to heavily polluted class. For the Enrichment Factor, all samples fell into the high enrichment class, with a range of (6.48-9.31). The Contamination Factor also classified the samples as highly contaminated, with a range of (8.25-11.24) which is mainly influenced by human activities. Continuous monitoring and surveillance of lead concentration variations in the studied soils are essential for preserving production resources and achieving food security.

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Main Subjects

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

 

Introduction

With the rapid development of industry and economy, the entry of environmental pollutants, especially heavy metals, into the soil has led to increasing concerns in the global community regarding public health and food security. The pollution of heavy metals in agricultural soils is rapidly increasing, which are among the most dangerous types of pollution due to the lack of specific symptoms, low transfer rate, and irreversibility, threatening the health of animals and humans along the entire food chain. Therefore, awareness and assessment of these elements have become an important indicator in predicting the risks and diseases caused by them, as well as determining soil quality standards. The present study aimed to quantify lead (Pb) pollution using various environmental indices in a part of the urban land of Shahr-e-Ray, Tehran province.

Methods

After conducting field visits and studying the base maps, in order to consider potential human factors controlling the changes in total lead concentration, 44 composite soil samples were collected from the depth of 0 to 20 centimeters. After sample preparation, the physical and chemical properties of the soil, such as soil texture, organic carbon (OC), soil acidity (pH), electrical conductivity (EC), available phosphorus, and soil lime content, were measured using standard soil analysis methods. Then, the total lead concentration in the soil was measured using an inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP) device. In this research, three environmental indices, namely the enrichment factor (EF), the geoaccumulation index (Igeo), and the contamination factor (Cƒ), were used to evaluate and determine the levels of lead contamination in the soil. Then, in order to conduct a more detailed examination and gain better awareness of the presence of lead pollution and its distribution in the study area, a spatial distribution map of the total lead concentration in the study area was prepared using the ordinary kriging interpolation method.

Results and Discussion

The results showed that all the investigated samples had total lead concentrations (with an average of 135.99 mg/kg) higher than the standard and recommended limit for lead in Iran, clearly revealing the impact of the establishment and positioning of potential pollutant sources in the region and the role of human activities. The soil pollution assessments for lead in the region were calculated and presented using the contamination factor, enrichment factor, and geoaccumulation index for 44 study points. According to the results, in terms of the geoaccumulation index with a range of variation (2.46-2.90), the samples were classified as moderately to severely polluted, and for the enrichment factor with a minimum and maximum (6.48-9.31), all the samples were in the highly enriched class. The contamination factor also ranked the samples in the very high pollution class for this element with a range of variation (8.25-11.24). The interpretation of the environmental indices indicates high lead pollution levels, which are mainly influenced by human activities. Based on the spatial distribution map, the highest lead values were observed in the northern and northwestern parts of the study area. The location of the South Tehran wastewater treatment plant in the northern part of the region, the Iranol motor oil refinery in the northwestern part, and the proximity of this area to the main highway connecting Tehran to the south of the country, as well as the high traffic volume in the main and secondary routes of this city, can be considered as reasons for the higher lead concentrations in these sections. Given the severe and excessive pollution in the region, continuous monitoring and tracking of changes in the concentration of this element in the studied soils are essential for the preservation of production resources and the achievement of food security.

Author Contributions

 Conceptualization, Sh.R.S., A.K., F.S. and M.F.; methodology, Sh.R.S. and A.K.; software, Sh.R.S. and A.K.; validation, Sh.R.S. and A.K.; formal analysis, Sh.R.S. and A.K.; investigation, Sh.R.S. and A.K.; resources, A.K.; data curation, Sh.R.S. and A.K.; writing—original draft preparation, Sh.R.S. and A.K.; writing—review and editing, Sh.R.S., A.K. and F.S.; visualization, Sh.R.S. and A.K.; supervision, A.K.; project administration, A.K.; funding acquisition, A.K. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Data Availability Statement

Data is available on reasonable request from the authors.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the reviewers and editor for their critical comments that helped to improve the paper. The authors gratefully acknowledge the support and facilities provided by the Department of Soil Science, University of Tehran, Iran.

Ethical considerations

The authors avoided data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and misconduct.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 55, Issue 9
November 2024
Pages 1485-1503

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