Current status of trace metal pollution in soils affected by industrial activities.
There is a growing public concern over the potential accumulation of heavy metals in soil, owing to rapid industrial development. In an effort to describe the status of the pollutions of soil by industrial activities, relevant data sets reported by many studies were surveyed and reviewed. The results of our analysis indicate that soils were polluted most significantly by metals such as lead, zinc, copper, and cadmium. If the dominant species are evaluated by the highest mean concentration observed for different industry types, the results were grouped into Pb, Zn, Ni, Cu, Fe, and As in smelting and metal production industries, Mn and Cd in the textile industry, and Cr in the leather industry. In most cases, metal levels in the studied areas were found to exceed the common regulation guideline levels enforced by many countries. The geoaccumulation index (I(geo)), calculated to estimate the enrichment of metal concentrations in soil, showed that the level of metal pollution in most surveyed areas is significant, especially for Pb and Cd. It is thus important to keep systematic and continuous monitoring of heavy metals and their derivatives to manage and suppress such pollution.
Department of Environment and Energy, Sejong University, Seoul 143-747, Republic of Korea.
Ehsanul
E
Kabir
Sharmila
S
Ray
Ki-Hyun
KH
Kim
Hye-On
HO
Yoon
Eui-Chan
EC
Jeon
Yoon Shin
YS
Kim
Yong-Sung
YS
Cho
Seong-Taek
ST
Yun
Richard J C
RJ
Brown
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D002104:Cadmium / Q000032:analysis; D003300:Copper / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000737:chemistry*; D007220:Industrial Waste; D007221:Industry; D007854:Lead / Q000032:analysis; D008670:Metals / Q000032:analysis*; D011786:Quality Control; D012016:Reference Values; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D013054:Spectrophotometry, Atomic; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis
D000393:Air Pollutants; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D007220:Industrial Waste; D008670:Metals; D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014131:Trace Elements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002104:Cadmium; D007854:Lead; D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc