title: Elemental contamination in urban parks of Rawalpindi/Islamabad--a source identification and pollution level assessment study.
abstract: The soil quality of urban parks is of vital importance as the children playing in the parks get themselves easily contaminated. A study was conducted to assess the level of elemental pollution caused by constant urbanization and industrialization, in various parks of Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The soil samples, collected from 14 urban parks of Islamabad and Rawalpindi areas, were analysed for their elemental concentrations. In each sample, 32 elements were quantified using semi-absolute k                         (0)-instrumental neutron activation analysis and flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The quality of analysis was assured by analysing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reference material IAEA-S7 (soil). The pollution level was assessed by enrichment factor, pollution load index and our suggested indicator called "average toxic element concentration". The elemental concentrations measured in the parks of two cities were compared by t test. Four sources of different elements in the soils were identified by employing principal component analysis and cluster analysis. The results of multivariate techniques grouped all parks into four classes. The use of enrichment factor indicated the presence of Ni at slightly higher level in all parks while the pollution load index revealed that the parks of Rawalpindi were relatively more polluted as compared to that of Islamabad. The hot spot areas of elemental concentration were closely related to high traffic conditions.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Division, PINSTECH, Nilore, 45650 Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Sajid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wasim
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tufail
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arif
authors.forename: Muhammad M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
mesh_terms: D002947:Cities; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019216:Metals, Heavy / Q000032:analysis*; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019216:Metals, Heavy; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014131:Trace Elements