title: Long-term assessment of ecological risk from deposition of elemental pollutants in the vicinity of the industrial area of Puchuncaví-Ventanas, central Chile.
abstract: The present work investigates soil pollution by elemental contaminants and compares ecological risk indexes related to industrial activities for the case study of Puchuncaví-Ventanas: a relevant industrial zone located in central Chile. Selected elements (As, Pb, Cd, Ni, Hg, V, Mn, Zn, Sr, Sb, Cr, Co, Cu, K, and Ba) were analyzed during a long-term period (yearly sampling campaigns during 2007-2011), at 5 sampling stations representing different degrees of impact. PCA and cluster analysis allowed identifying a copper smelter and a coal-fired power plant complex as major pollution sources. Geoaccumulation index (I geo), enrichment factor (EF), contamination factor (Cf), contamination degree (C deg), and integrated pollution index (IPI) are critically discussed for quantitative ecological risk assessment. I geo, EF and Cf indexes are producing comparable environmental information, showing moderate to high pollution risks in the area that demands further monitoring and adoption of prevention and remediation measures.
  Long term assessment of elemental pollution around an industrial area. New insight on ecological risk indexes for trace element pollution in soils, by critical comparison among them.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas, s/n, E-06006 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: Soroush
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salmanighabeshi
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas, s/n, E-06006 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: M Rosario
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Palomo-Marín
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas, s/n, E-06006 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bernalte
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas, s/n, E-06006 Badajoz, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rueda-Holgado
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Física Aplicada, Avda. de la Universidad s/n, E-10071 Cáceres, Spain.
authors.forename: Conrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miró-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Centro de Tecnologías Ambientales, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. de España, 1680 Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fadic-Ruiz
authors.affiliation: Centro de Tecnologías Ambientales, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. de España, 1680 Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vidal-Cortez
authors.affiliation: Centro de Tecnologías Ambientales, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. de España, 1680 Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cereceda-Balic
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Analítica, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas, s/n, E-06006 Badajoz, Spain. Electronic address: epinilla@unex.es.
authors.forename: Eduardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pinilla-Gil
mesh_terms: D002677:Chile; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004787:Environmental Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007221:Industry / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D014131:Trace Elements
keywords: Ecological risk assessment; Industrial pollution; Metal; Pollution indexes; Soil