Multivariate statistical analysis of heavy metals pollution in industrial area and its comparison with relatively less polluted area: a case study from the City of Peshawar and district Dir Lower

Trace elements in Foodstuffs from the Mediterranean Basin-Occurrence, Risk Assessment, Regulations, and Prevention strategies: A review

Trace elements (TEs) are chemical compounds that naturally occur in the earth's crust and in living organisms at low concentrations. Anthropogenic activities can significantly increase the level of TEs in the environment and finally enter the food chain. Toxic TEs like cadmium, lead, arsenic, and mercury have no positive role in a biological system and can cause harmful effects on human health. Ingestion of contaminated food is a typical route of TEs intake by humans. Recent data about the occurrence of TEs in food available in the Mediterranean countries are considered in this review. Analytical methods are also discussed. Furthermore, a discussion of existing international agency regulations will be given. The risk associated with the dietary intake of TEs was estimated by considering consumer exposure and threshold values such as Benchmark dose lower confidence limit and provisional tolerable weekly intake established by the European Food Safety Authority and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, respectively. Finally, several remediation approaches to minimize TE contamination in foodstuffs were discussed including chemical, biological, biotechnological, and nanotechnological methods. The results of this study proved the occurrence of TEs contamination at high levels in vegetables and fish from some Mediterranean countries. Lead and cadmium are more abundant in foodstuffs than other toxic trace elements. Geographical variations in TE contamination of food crops clearly appear, with a greater risk in developing countries. There is still a need for the regular monitoring of these toxic element levels in food items to ensure consumer protection.

Analysis of heavy metals and toxicity level in the tannery effluent and the environs

Heavy metals have found a large number of applications in the recent times. These heavy metals are being continuously added to our environment through various natural and anthropogenic activities. Industries employ heavy metals to process raw materials into final products. Effluents from these industries carry heavy metals. Atomic absorption spectrophotometer and ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer) are of great help in detecting various elements in the effluent. They have been extensively applied to solve problems related to environmental monitoring and assessment. Heavy metals like Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Cr can be easily detected using both the techniques. Some of these heavy metals are toxic to both humans and animals. They can have significant related health effects. Presence of heavy metals in the industrial effluent has gained varied attention in the recent times and it has become one of the major causes of water and soil pollution. Significant contributions can be linked with the leather tanning industry. As the effluent from the tanning industry has been found to contain a large number of heavy metals in many studies. Continuous monitoring and treatment of the effluent is necessary to keep a check on the concentration of heavy metals in these effluents. This study focuses on the analysis of the various studies available on tannery effluents, methods used for heavy metal analysis, toxicity of these heavy metals, and the related major health effects. Data for heavy metals in the tannery effluent from different studies in last two decades has been collected and analysed. The data from various studies indicates that Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cu, Fe, and Ni are the most commonly found heavy metals released from the tanning industry. Proper management of the tannery effluent is thus very essential for saving the environment.

Health risk assessment of heavy metals in road dust from the fourth-tier industrial city in central China based on Monte Carlo simulation and bioaccessibility

Health risks caused by heavy metal (HM) exposure in road dust has attracted extensive attention, but few studies have focused on the health risks of residents living in small- and medium-sized cities with rapid industrialization and urbanization. Thus, 140 road dust samples were collected across Anyang, a typical fourth-tier industrial city in central China, which were analysed for 10 different HMs (Mn, Zn, Pb, V, Cr, As, Cd, Ni, Cu and Co). Monte Carlo simulation and bioaccessibility were used to quantify the health risks of heavy metals comprehensively in road dust. Results revealed a remarkable accumulation of Mn, Zn, Pb, Cd and Cu. According to the Geo-accumulation index and potential ecological risk index, Cd was priority control pollutant. Moreover, 55.0% of the road dust samples reached heavily polluted level, and 52.86% of the samples were at high ecological risk levels. These results illustrated that HM contamination was serious and universal in the road dust of Anyang. The occurrences of HMs were allocated to traffic emissions, natural sources, industrial activities and agricultural activities with contribution rates of 35.4%, 6.0%, 41.6% and 17.0%, respectively. Except for Zn in the gastric phase, all other HMs had relatively low bioaccessibilities in the gastrointestinal system, usually less than 20%. The bioaccessibilities of most HMs were higher in the gastric phase, except for Cr, Ni and Cu, which remained higher in the intestinal phase. The non-carcinogenic risk and carcinogenic risk were remarkably reduced when considering the HM bioaccessibilities in the gastrointestinal system, especially for adults. The outcomes of this paper are valuable for understanding HM contamination in road dust and highlight the importance of risk assessment for populations living in the fourth- and fifth-tier cities.

Identification and selection of suitable landfill sites using GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis in the Peshawar District, Pakistan

Managing municipal solid waste (MSW) is indispensable for public health and quality living standards in urban and rural environments. Suitable landfill site selection (LSS) requires the consideration of many diverse criteria. This study uses various environmental, social and economic criteria in a sophisticated multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) within the geographical information system (GIS) and aims to provide a scientific basis for the identification of suitable landfill sites which can efficiently be used for MSW in one of the most urbanized cities (Peshawar district) in Pakistan. The methodology involves pairwise comparisons of the selected and ranked criteria using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). A weighted linear combination (WLC) was applied to generate the most suitable landfill site for MSW disposal within the study area. The results show that approximately 11.4% (14,485.15 ha) and 16.6% (21,211.95 ha) of the total study area are either very highly suitable or highly suitable, 20.8% (26,525.56 ha) area is unsuitable and the remaining areas are either low (27.3%; 34,834.84 ha) or moderately suitable (23.8%; 30,356.84 ha) for the construction of landfill sites. It is recommended that using the proposed landfill sites would have the least consequences of public health risks and environmental degradation.

Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soils from Four Different Industrial Plants in a Medium-Sized City in North China

Laboratory experiments were carried out to analyze 39 soil samples collected from four industrial areas in Xuzhou City using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The descriptive statistics of heavy metals (HMs) in the soil profiles showed that the HM content at three depths was highly variable, and most coefficients of variation (CVs) showed moderate variability. The enrichment of Cd at all depths exceeded the risk screening value, and Cd pollution occurred in four plants. The enrichment of the other HMs at three depths was mainly concentrated in the pharmaceutical plant A and chemical plant C. It was found that the different HMs had different vertical distribution characteristics. For the different industrial plants, the raw materials and products not only made the spatial distribution characteristics of the HMs different, but also caused the HM types and contents to differ. The average single pollution indices of Cd in plant A, iron-steel plant B, and plant C indicated a slight pollution level. The other seven HMs in A, B, and C and all HMs in chemical plant D belonged to the safe category. The mean values of the Nemerow pollution index in the four industrial plants belonged to the warning category. The analysis showed that none of the HMs posed potential noncarcinogenic health risks, and only the carcinogenic health risks of Cr in plants A and C were unacceptable. The carcinogenic effect of Cr through the inhalation intake of resuspended soil particulates and that of Cd, Ni, and As via direct oral ingestion were the main exposure pathways.

Review on rewiring of microalgal strategies for the heavy metal remediation - A metal specific logistics and tactics

Phycoremediation of heavy metals are gaining much attention and becoming an emerging practice for the metal removal in diverse environmental matrices. Still, the physicochemical state of metal polluted sites is often found to be complex and haphazard in nature due to the irregular discharge of wastes, that leads to the lack of conjecture on the application of microalgae for the metal bioremediation. Besides, the foresaid issues might be eventually ended up with futile effect to the polluted site. Therefore, this review is mainly focusing on interpretative assessment on pre-existing microalgal strategies and their merits and demerits for selected metal removal by microalgae through various process such as natural attenuation, nutritional amendment, chemical pretreatment, metal specific modification, immobilization and amalgamation, customization of genetic elements and integrative remediation approaches. Thus, this review provides the ideal knowledge for choosing an efficient metal remediation tactics based on the state of polluted environment. Also, this in-depth description would provide the speculative knowledge of counteractive action required for pass-over the barriers and obstacles during implementation. In addition, the most common metal removal mechanism of microalgae by adsorption was comparatively investigated with different metals through the principal component analysis by grouping various factor such as pH, temperature, initial metal concentration, adsorption capacity, removal efficiency, contact time in different microalgae. Conclusively, the suitable strategies for different heavy metals removal and addressing the complications along with their solution is comprehensively deliberated for metal removal mechanism in microalgae.

Cobalt availability in the soil plant and animal food chain: a study under a peri-urban environment

Cobalt metal is considered as an essential trace element for the animals. Present investigation was undertaken in the peri-urban area to analyze the cobalt availability in animal food chain by using different indices. Cow, buffalo and sheep samples along with forage and soil samples were collected from the three different sites of District Jhang and analyzed through atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Cobalt values differed in soil samples as 0.315-0.535 mg/kg, forages as 0.127-0.333 mg/kg and animal samples as 0.364-0.504 mg/kg. Analyzed cobalt concentration in soil, forage and animal samples was found to be deficient in concentration with respect to standard limits. Soil showed the minimum cobalt level in Z. mays while maximum concentration was examined in the forage C. decidua samples. All indices examined in this study has values lesser than 1, representing the safer limits of the cobalt concentration in these samples. Enrichment factor (0.071-0.161 mg/kg) showed the highly deficient amount of cobalt enrichment in this area. Bio-concentration factor (0.392-0.883) and pollution load index (0.035-0.059 mg/kg) values were also lesser than 1 explains that plant and soil samples are not contaminated with cobalt metal. The daily intake and health risk index ranged from 0.00019-0.00064 mg/kg/day and 0.0044-0.0150 mg/kg/day respectively. Among the animals, cobalt availability was maximum (0.0150 mg/kg/day) in the buffaloes that grazed on the C. decidua fodder. Results of this study concluded that cobalt containing fertilizers must be applied on the soil and forages. Animal feed derived from the cobalt containing supplements are supplied to the animals, to fulfill the nutritional requirements of livestock.

Development of function-specific indices for assessing water quality based on the proposed modifications of the expected conflicts on existing information entropy weights

Water serves numerous purposes besides drinking, such as irrigation and industrial usage. Most water quality indices developed have primarily focused on drinking water quality. However, assessing other functionalities of water bodies is also equally essential. The present study proposes a novel technique to measure water quality for two highly specific water use, i.e., assessing heavy metal contamination and irrigation suitability. The ambiguities in the current practice of entropy weights were identified, and a novel method was proposed, considering a three-dimensional approach instead of the conventional two-dimensional procedure. Weights to different parameters were assigned based on the probability estimates obtained from the frequency of observed values within acceptable limits. The proposed method's reliability, correctness, and applicability were tested using Deepor Beel's water quality dataset. Results were highly consistent with the experimental values and correlated well with other established methods. The efficacy of the method was determined by employing sensitivity analyses. Both indices showed high reliability and correctness, as no single parameter was found to be highly sensitive compared to others. Therefore, the proposed methodology proved to be the most reasonable, incorporating all the factors required for a reliable water quality monitoring program.

Impact of land use and cover on shallow groundwater quality in Songyuan city, China: A multivariate statistical analysis

The utilization and development of land resources is an important process in which human activities affect groundwater quality. However, the impact of land use on groundwater chemical composition has complex multiple relationships, and is affected by the scale of the buffer zone. Based on these problems, this study used correlation analysis (CA) and principal component analysis (PCA) to discuss the mechanism of the effect of land use/land cover (LULC) on the hydrochemical composition of groundwater in Songyuan City. Samples were divided into two groups, i.e., quaternary unconfined aquifer (0-30 m) and quaternary confined aquifer (30-100 m). By comparing the variation trends of the correlation coefficient and cumulative variance interpretation rate of PCA in different buffer ranges, it was found that the optimal buffer range was 3000 m. Cropland had the greatest impact on groundwater hydrochemistry in the city. The transformation of natural landscapes (such as saline‒alkaline alkali land and grassland) to cropland inhibited salt accumulation in groundwater. This finding is noteworthy since few studies have involved areas where saline‒alkaline land is widely distributed. Compared with CA results, PCA results emphasized the deterioration of groundwater quality by agricultural pollution. Moreover, agricultural pollutants such as NO₃^- and K⁺ were accumulated in areas where cropland transitioned to natural landscapes such as grassland and water bodies. Considering that wide lakes and rivers provide the drainage area for irrigation water in the study area, the groundwater quality in the surrounding area was affected by the contaminated surface water. The multiple interaction relationship between LULC and hydrochemistry was further confirmed by the combination of principal component scores.

Effects of diverse irrigation with wastewater in soil and plants: assessing the risk of metal to the animal food chain

In District Jhang, farmers use municipal wastewater to irrigate fodder crops as an alternative source to the deficient availability of fresh water. Therefore, the present study selected the three irrigation sources in District Jhang (canal water, ground water and municipal wastewater) to study the iron (Fe) concentration in the soil, fodder crops and ultimately their transfer into the animal body. Analysed Fe concentration varied as 16.40-27.53 mg/kg in soil samples, 19.72-30.34 mg/kg in fodder crops and 2.49-5.11 mg/kg in animals. Analysed Fe concentration in soil was higher on the wastewater irrigation site while canal water-irrigated fodder crop Zea mays exhibit the higher Fe concentration. In animal samples, higher Fe concentration was observed in the cow blood (4.09 mg/l), cow hairs (3.39 mg/kg) and cow faeces (5.11 mg/kg). Results of pollution load index (0.288-0.484 mg/kg) and enrichment factor (0.112-0.197 mg/kg) indicated that Fe concentration was minimally dispersed and enriched in these sites. Health risk and daily intake values were observed between the 0.029-0.059 and 0.042-0.084 mg/kg/day. Bio-concentration factor (0.834-1.47 mg/kg) for Fe which was greater than 1 explains that Fe contamination was transferred from the soil to fodder tissues and may raise health issues in the grazing animals if they are continuously exposed to these contaminated forages. Wastewater irrigation in study area has increased the Fe content in soil-plant environment that is a risking factor for animal and human health. Hence, this study recommended that wastewater should be treated prior to their irrigation on agricultural lands.

Bioaccumulation and transfer of zinc in soil plant and animal system: a health risk assessment for the grazing animals

Heavy metals pollution has thorough worldwide apprehensions due to the instantaneous growth of industries. Farming regions are irrigated mainly with wastewater which contains both municipal and industrial emancipations. Keeping in view the above scenario, a study was designed in which three sites irrigated with ground, canal, and municipal wastewater in the District Jhang were selected to determine the zinc accumulation and its transfer in the soil, plant, and animal food chain. Zinc concentration was ranged as 18.85-35.59mg/kg in the soil, 26.42-42.67 mg/kg in the forage, and 0.982-2.85mg/kg in the animal samples. Investigated zinc concentration in soil and forages was found to be within the recommended WHO/FAO limits, but blood samples exceed the standards of NRC (2007). The maximum level of pollution load index (0.427-0.805mg/kg) and enrichment factor (0.373-0.894 mg/kg) for zinc was noticed upon wastewater irrigation. Daily intake (0.039 to 0.082 mg/kg/day) and health risk index (0.130 to 0.275 mg/kg/day) of zinc metal was higher in the buffaloes that feed on wastewater-irrigated forages. Bio-concentration factor (0.840 to 2.01mg/kg) for soil-forage was >1 which represents that these plants accumulated the zinc concentration into their tissues and raised health issues in grazing animals on consumption of wastewater-contaminated forages. As animal-derived products are part of human food, then zinc toxicity prevailed in livestock tissues ultimately affects the human food chain. Overall, findings of this study concluded that animal herds should be monitored periodically to devise preventive measures regarding the toxic level of heavy metals availability to livestock.

Ecological risk assessment of heavy metal chromium in a contaminated pastureland area in the Central Punjab, Pakistan: soils vs plants vs ruminants

Grazing animals act as a bioindicator to study the heavy metal status in the pasture lands because excessive amount of toxic metals in the animal diet either disturb their normal activity or deposit the contaminants into their tissues. The aim of this study was to appraise the chromium status in soil and pasture crops with respect to the nutritional requirement of grazing animals. Three different sites were selected to collect soil, forages, and animal samples from District Jhang. All the samples were processed through atomic absorption spectrophotometer to analyze the chromium concentration in them. Chromium concentration was varied as 0.703-4.20 mg/kg in soil, 0.45-2.85 mg/kg in forages, and 0.588-2.37 mg/kg in all collected animal samples. Both the soil and forage samples displayed the maximum chromium concentration in the Capparis decidua, whereas animal samples revealed maximum concentration in animal blood. Results of pollution load index (0.078 to 0.463 mg/kg) exhibited that all the sample values are less than unity while enrichment factor (1.57-8.25mg/kg) showed that significant level of chromium is enriched in these sites. The maximum value of daily intake (0.0007-0.0055mg/kg/day) and health risk index (0.0004-0.00370055mg/kg/day) was observed in the buffalo that feed on the Capparis decidua. Bio-concentration factor (0.398-2.09mg/kg) value was the maximum in the Medicago sativa. It is concluded that all the animal samples showed chromium concentration beyond their standards. Thus, proper measures should be taken to reduce the metal contamination in these areas that ultimately lessen the availability of toxic metals to grazing animals.

Appraisal of contamination of heavy metals and health risk in agricultural soil of Jhansi city, India

The accumulation of heavy metals (HMs) in soil is presently a significant threat to the environment. The Cu, Mn, Zn, Cd, Pb, Ni, and Co concentrations were assessed in the agricultural soil samples. The results of various contamination indices including contamination factor, geo-accumulation indices, and ecological risk indices revealed that Cd is responsible for moderate to high contamination of soil. The multivariate statistical analyses including PCA, HCA, and correlation matrix suggested the mixed origin of HMs in the soil. Ingestion was found to be a primary route of exposure while dermal and inhalation exposure was negligible. Overall, the non-carcinogenic health risks were well within the safe limit to human health. However, healthwise, children were likely to be at greater risk compared with adults, due to their generally increased exposure to toxic agents through hand/mouth ingestion. Moreover, no carcinogenic risks were determined through the inhalation exposure of Cd, Ni, and Co.

The environmental impacts of heavy metals in soil, certain plants and wastewater near industrial area of Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh

At various locations around the world, environments are now becoming greatly polluted by heavy metals, while damage is being done to soil and aquatic life with serious implications for humanity as well. Once heavy metals enter the ecosystem, they persist for a long time, and they are very difficult to eliminate. Discharging of industrial wastes enriched with heavy metals substantially pollutes the soil, water, and air. This study investigated the levels of heavy metals around the industrial area of Brahmanbaria, which is located in Chittagong Division, Bangladesh. Samples of soil, wastewater, vegetable, and grass were collected from the industrial area. The heavy metals were quantified using atomic absorption spectroscopy. The heavy metals found in soil were chromium (Cr) 8.2-18.8, lead (Pb) 3.5-18.3, copper (Cu) 4.6-10.8, zinc (Zn) 48.5-273.4, nickel (Ni) 10.06-26.9, and cadmium (Cd) 0.2 mg/kg, respectively. The metal contents in the wastewater were Cr 0.03-0.5, Pb 0.01-0.05, Cu 0.01-0.02, Zn 0.6-11.2, Ni 0.03-0.14, and Cd 0.003 mg/L, respectively. The metal contents in vegetable and grass were Cr 81.5-247.8, Pb 10.3-34.1, Cu 5.5-6.3, Zn 419.8-435.3, and Ni 8.7-15.5 mg/kg, respectively. The amount of metal in the soil, wastewater, and vegetables and grass followed the sequences: Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cu > Cd, Zn > Cr > Ni > Pb > Cu > Cd, and Zn > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cu, respectively. Compared to the WHO guidelines, the soil in the study area was not polluted with Pb, Cu, and Cd but was moderately polluted with Cr, Zn, and Ni. Continual accumulation of metals in the soil, vegetables and grass could pose a serious risk to the environment as well as many life forms.

Heavy metals assessment in water, soil, vegetables and their associated health risks via consumption of vegetables, District Kasur, Pakistan

The consumption of contaminated vegetables has a great impact on human health. Due to this fact, we conduct the study to estimate the heavy metals in groundwater, soil, and vegetables by using the atomic adsorption spectroscopy (AAS) and find out the health risk using THQ and TCR caused by using these vegetables. The mean concentrations of As (0.015–0.40 mg/L), Cd (0.02–0.029 mg/L), Co (0.31–0.38 mg/L), Cr (1.02–1.09 mg/L), Cu (2.14–2.17 mg/L), and Hg (0.01–0.04 mg/L) are high in groundwater from threshold values given by WHO. The mean concentrations of As (22.17–23.14 mg/kg), Cd (4.21–4.54 mg/kg), Cu (21.24–24.36 mg/kg), and Pb (32.12–33.48 mg/kg) are high in soil samples from threshold values given by WHO. The mean concentrations of As, Cd, Pb, Cr, Fe, Hg, and Mn values exceeded the recommended values with concentration ranges: 1.75–4.56, 0.41–0.67, 2.12–3.12, 1.44–4.56, 87.12–135.25, 2.09–2.64, and 33.41–129.32 mg/Kg, respectively. The vegetable sample’s average concentration of heavy metals was in decreasing order cabbage ˃ brinjal ˃ okra ˃ tomato. The EDI values for As, Co, and Hg calculated for both adults and children is high. The target hazard quotients (THQ) for As, Co, and Hg are greater than the threshold value by consuming vegetables, which indicated the health risk for both adults and children. Similarly, HI due to tomato, cabbage, okra, and brinjal’s consumption is ˃ 1, with HI values 8.1975, 15.3077, 8.7312, and 10.2306, respectively. This advised the possible health effect in this area by using these vegetables. Target Cancer risk (TCR) exposed the adverse cancer risk persuaded by As, Cr, and Hg as their values exceeded the normal range by USEPA by consumption of these vegetables. This study concluded that vegetables imply the total health risk on local people, and regular monitoring of heavy metals is strongly suggested in this region.

A scoping review of sources of mercury and its health effects among Pakistan's most vulnerable population

Mercury and methyl mercury are poisonous to human body. In the recent times, exposure to mercury has been anthropogenic in nature. Within the past several decades, many incidences of mercury poisoning have been documented in several countries including Pakistan. Mercury has been ingested where it has been used to preserve crops, through the point and non-point source discharge into the surface water, and consequently entering the food chain. We conducted this scoping review of mercury and its health effects in Pakistan in order to raise the flag to a silent ongoing Minamata disease in the country. We conducted a systematic search of the available literature in Google Scholar, PubMed, and grey literature of unpublished theses and reports of various universities across the country. We found that in the northern Pakistan, suspended sediments were the major pathway of the riverine mercury transport. Sediments of Hunza and Gilgit River were found high in mercury concentrations. Gold mining leads to an increase in mercury concentration in soil and river waters flowing in this region. High concentrations up to 108 ng/L were found in Shimsal River. It is suspected that that high level of mercury transport may be leading to accumulation of mercury in major water bodies and lakes downstream. Occupational exposure to mercury and other heavy metals is common in an unregulated private sector of the country. Goldsmiths burn the amalgamated gold without personal protective measures. Direct exposure to the fumes of mercury leads to respiratory, dermatological, systemic and neurological ailments specific to mercury poisoning. We found good evidence of bioaccumulation of mercury in fish and fish products in Pakistan. The untreated waste water discharge is responsible to not only afflicted the fish but also the birds which feed on this fish. Further, the same untreated waste water from factories and agriculture runoffs affect vegetables grown in it. Studies looking at the biomarkers for mercury in humans have shown increased and even toxic levels of mercury among the most vulnerable populations of the country. Other sources of mercury exposure included mercury in traditional medicines and cigarette products. Though no evidence was found for its presence in drinking water, its existence in the food chain and occupational exposure pose great threat to the humans as well as animals.

Level and speciation of nickel in some forages in relation to spatial and temporal fluctuations

The present experimental work was conducted at different sites of district Bhakkar, a semiarid region of Pakistan, to assess whether the goats are suffering nickel deficiency or toxicity and what are the possible seasonal effects on the availability and translocation of nickel in food chain. A total of 27 forage and 320 goats according to four physiological stages [does (she goat), bucks (he goat), wether (castrated), juvenile (6 month)] were recruited for this study. To fulfill this objective, soil, forage, blood plasma, urine, and feces samples were collected in 4 seasons of the year at 2 sites and were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometer for nickel concentration. Different indices BCF, EF, and PLI were also studied to check the metal transfer. The results showed that sites had significant (P < 0.05) effect on nickel concentration in soil, forage, and goats. On the other hand, season and site x season had nonsignificant (P > 0.05) effects on nickel level in soil and goats. The soil (0.68-0.71 mg kg^-1), forage (3.41-3.70 mg/kg), and blood (0.21-0.28 mg/l) level was lower than the permissible limits, while feces (0.57-1.34 mg/kg) and urine (0.35-1.32 mg/l) had enough concentration of nickel. Sources showed significant (P < 0.05) effects on Ni level in all stages of goats. All stages of goats except Wether (castrated) showed low level of nickel in blood. Most fluctuations in nickel concentration were observed in (S1) summer (low) and spring (S4) (high) season as a whole, while overall site 2 had high level of nickel than site 1. Thus, nickel showed deficiency in soil, forage, as well as in all stages of goats except wether goats. Nickel containing mineral mixtures are essential for does (she goat), bucks (he goat), and juveniles (6 months old), so application of Ni containing fertilizers to the soil and forage of that region and supplementation of Ni mineral mixture for grazing ruminants should be done.

Health risk assessment and bioaccessibilities of heavy metals for children in soil and dust from urban parks and schools of Jiaozuo, China

Urban parks and schools sever as the mainly activity areas for children, but risk assessment posed by heavy metals (HMs) from soil and dust in these area has rarely been investigated. In this study, six urban parks and seven schools in Jiaozuo, China, were taken as research objects to understand the contamination level and bioaccessibility of HMs from soil and dust in urban parks and schools. The results indicated that Zn, Cu, Pb, Cd, As, Ni and Co from soil and dust were above the background values, especially Zn and Cd in dust, and As and Cd in soil. Serious Cd pollution was discovered, and respective Cd concentrations in soil and dust were 17.83 and 7.52 times the background value. Additionally, the average concentration and bioaccessibility of Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni and Co in dust were both higher than in soil. High concentration and high bioaccessibility of HMs in dust suggested that HMs contamination were serious and universal in Jiaozuo. The concentrations of most HMs were higher in the gastric phase, except for Cu and Cd which remained higher in the intestinal phase. Both in the gastric phase and intestinal phase, Mn, As and Cd in soil and dust both have high bioaccessibility which all exceed 10%. The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks base on the total HMs for children (soil: 7.93, 1.96E-05; dust: 6.44, 3.58E-05) were greater than those for adults (soil: 6.35E-01, 1.32E-05; dust: 5.06E-01, 2.42E-05), and urban parks and schools posed high potential risk for children. Therefore, assessment the risk posed by HMs contamination of soil and dust in urban parks and schools is vital and urgent for children.

Distribution of Potential Harmful Trace Elements and Potential Ecological Risk in the Jiulongchi Wetland of Fanjing Mountain, Southwest China

In order to understand the distribution and ecological risk of potential harmful trace elements (PHTEs) in the high altitude areas of the Fanjing Mountain World Natural Heritage Property, 30 surface samples including soil and plants were collected in April, 2019 in the Jiulongchi wetland which lies in the saddle between the New Jinding Peak of Fanjing Mountain and Fenghuang Peak. The contents of 23 major and trace elements were determined, and the pollution characteristics and potential ecological risk of 11 PHTEs (Mn, V, Zn, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, As, Cd, Sb and Pb) were discussed. The element contents showed significant differences in plant and soil samples. Enrichment factor and single-factor pollution index demonstrated that Mn, Zn, Co, As and Cd in the soil were in a clean state. The potential ecological risk index and pollution load index indicated an overall good ecological condition of Jiulongchi wetland, with a weak pollution degree. Comparisons of relevant studies showed the anthropogenic activities have considerable impacts on the pollution status of PHTEs with significant spatial differences in Fanjing Mountain. Multivariate statistical analysis proved that Pb and Sb were main pollutants of the soil in the Jiulongchi wetland, and the mining and smelting of minerals such as mercury, manganese and lead-zinc ore in the adjacent areas could be the main pollution sources through atmospheric deposition. This study could provide targeted strategies for the environmental protection and management of the Property and give scientific evidence for the pollution prevention in southwest China.

Trace elements in soil-vegetables interface: Translocation, bioaccumulation, toxicity and amelioration - A review

The contamination of soil and vegetables with trace elements is one of the most severe ecological problems in developing industrialized countries. Trace elements are released into the environment from natural and anthropogenic activities and accumulated in soil and vegetables through various pathways which ultimately affects the human health. The present review aimed at 1) discussing the anthropogenic sources in detail, 2) describing the bioaccumulation, absorption, and transportation of trace elements, 3) exploring the options to reduce the health risk due to consumption of contaminated vegetables, 4) identifying the research and policy gaps related to soil and vegetables contamination with trace elements. Besides these objectives, the present review also detailed the several factors which affect the rate of accumulation, toxicity mechanism, and effects of trace elements on vegetables and humans. Various toxicity indices for health risk assessment have also been described. It is suggested to evaluate the trace metals concentration in irrigation water and soil prior to plant the vegetable to minimize the possible contamination.

Environmental impact assessment of industrial activities on heavy metals distribution in street dust and soil

Street dust and soil are important materials for evaluating the contaminants level in industrial areas. Detailed size-resolved distribution of metal(loid)s in street dusts and soils influenced by industrial activities has rarely been investigated. This study was carried out to understand how industrialization might affect the size distribution of metal(loid)s concentration and contamination level in the street dust and soil from Murcia, southern Spain. An industrial and a natural areas were selected and surface soil and street dust samples were taken. They were fractionated into eleven size classes and total concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, Cr, Ni, As and Fe were determined in both the bulk samples and their fractions. Enrichment factor, geoaccumulation index, and mass loading of different heavy metal(loids) were calculated. The results indicated that the street dust from natural and industrial areas had almost the same particle size distribution, both containing higher percentage of coarse-sized particles than the soil. Industrialization seems to have only slightly affected the concentration of most elements studied in the soil. In contrast, the concentrations of the heavy elements in bulk industrial dust samples and all their size fractions were extremely higher than those from the natural area. This means that the industrial activities only affected the size dependency of the concentration (contamination level) of certain elements (Pb, Zn, Cu, Cd, and Cr) in the street dust, but not in the soil.

Spatial distribution of heavy metals in crops in a wastewater irrigated zone and health risk assessment

Industrialization and urbanization have produced a large amount of wastewater. Part of the municipal wastewater has been used as an irrigation source in urban/suburban areas. Its utilization, although economically beneficial, can significantly deteriorate the integrity of the ecological systems (e.g., in terms of quality of soil and resulting food products). The objectives of this study are to investigate the spatial distribution and bio-accumulation of heavy metals (e.g., Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in food crops (and topsoil) and associated health risks of their consumption in the area of Mangla Dam, Pakistan. To this end, studies were conducted to assess the risk factors such as the bioconcentration factor (BCF), health risk index (HRI), and daily intake of heavy metals (DIM). Accordingly, there was more contamination in Mangla Dam water irrigated zone (DWI) than in the groundwater irrigated zone (GWI). Co exhibited the maximum BCF of 7.45 for Eruca sativa and 6.61 for Brassica campestris in the GWI zone. Likewise, enhanced risk to human health was seen from of Cd, Cr, and Pb in Triticum aestivum and Eruca sativa grown in the DWI zone. It is recommended that the quality profile of wastewater discharge into freshwater ecosystems should be continuously monitored and regulated.

Holistic approach for quantification and identification of pollutant sources of a river basin by analyzing the open drains using an advanced multivariate clustering

Global scarcity of freshwater has been gearing towards an unsustainable river basin management and corresponding services to the humans. It needs a holistic approach, which exclusively focuses on effective river water quality monitoring and quantification and identification of pollutant sources, in order to address the issue of sustainability. These days, rivers are heavily contaminated due to the presence of organic and metallic pollutants released from several anthropogenic sources, such as industrial effluents, domestic sewage, and agricultural runoff. It is astonishing to note that even in many developing countries, most of these contaminants are carried through open drains, which enter river premises without proper treatment. Such practice not only devastates riverine ecosystem but also gives rise to deadly diseases, such as minimata and cancer in humans. Considering these issues, the present study develops a novel approach towards simultaneous identification of major sources of pollution in the rivers, along with critical pollutants and locations using an advanced hierarchical cluster and multivariate statistical analysis. A systematic approach has been developed by agglomerating both R-mode and Q-mode analysis, which develops monoplots, two-dimensional biplots, rotated component matrices, and dendrograms (using "SPSS" and "Analyse It" software) to reveal relationships among various quality parameters to identify the pollutant sources along with clustering of critical sampling sites and pollutants. A case study of the Ganges River Basin of India has been considered to demonstrate the efficacy and usefulness of the model by analyzing 85 open drains. Both organic and metallic pollutants are analyzed simultaneously as well as separately to get a holistic understanding of all the relationships and to broaden the perspective of water characterization. Results provide a comprehensive guidance to the policy makers and water managers to optimize corrective efforts, minimize further damage, and improve the water quality condition to ensure sustainable development of the river basin.

Multivariate statistical assessment of a polluted river under nitrification inhibition in the tropics

A large complex water quality data set of a polluted river, the Tay Ninh River, was evaluated to identify its water quality problems, to assess spatial variation, to determine the main pollution sources, and to detect relationships between parameters. This river is highly polluted with organic substances, nutrients, and total iron. An important problem of the river is the inhibition of the nitrification. For the evaluation, different statistical techniques including cluster analysis (CA), discriminant analysis (DA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were applied. CA clustered 10 water quality stations into three groups corresponding to extreme, high, and moderate pollution. DA used only seven parameters to differentiate the defined clusters. The PCA resulted in four principal components. The first PC is related to conductivity, NH4-N, PO4-P, and TP and determines nutrient pollution. The second PC represents the organic pollution. The iron pollution is illustrated in the third PC having strong positive loadings for TSS and total Fe. The fourth PC explains the dependence of DO on the nitrate production. The nitrification inhibition was further investigated by PCA. The results showed a clear negative correlation between DO and NH4-N and a positive correlation between DO and NO3-N. The influence of pH on the NH4-N oxidation could not be detected by PCA because of the very low nitrification rate due to the constantly low pH of the river and because of the effect of wastewater discharge with very high NH4-N concentrations. The results are deepening the understanding of the governing water quality processes and hence to manage the river basins sustainably.

A study of trace element contamination using multivariate statistical techniques and health risk assessment in groundwater of Chhaprola Industrial Area, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India

This study is an investigation on spatio-chemical, contamination sources (using multivariate statistics), and health risk assessment arising from the consumption of groundwater contaminated with trace and toxic elements in the Chhaprola Industrial Area, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, India. In this study 33 tubewell water samples were analyzed for 28 elements using ICP-OES. Concentration of some trace and toxic elements such as Al, As, B, Cd, Cr, Mn, Pb and U exceeded their corresponding WHO (2011) guidelines and BIS (2012) standards while the other analyzed elements remain below than those values. Background γ and β radiation levels were observed and found to be within their acceptable limits. Multivariate statistics PCA (explains 82.07 cumulative percent for total 6 of factors) and CA indicated (mixed origin) that natural and anthropogenic activities like industrial effluent and agricultural runoff are responsible for the degrading of groundwater quality in the research area. In this study area, an adult consumes 3.0 L (median value) of water therefore consuming 39, 1.94, 1461, 0.14, 11.1, 292.6, 13.6, 23.5 μg of Al, As, B, Cd, Cr, Mn, Pb and U from drinking water per day respectively. The hazard quotient (HQ) value exceeded the safe limit of 1 which for As, B, Al, Cr, Mn, Cd, Pb and U at few locations while hazard index (HI) > 5 was observed in about 30% of the samples which indicated potential health risk from these tubewells for the local population if the groundwater is consumed.

Chemical forms of heavy metals in agricultural soils affected by coal mining in the Linhuan subsidence of Huaibei Coalfield, Anhui Province, China

Total concentrations of heavy metals in soils may not be enough to understand their mobility and bioavailability. It is important to evaluate the degree of association of heavy metals with different chemical forms of soil. The sequential extraction method was applied to evaluate the mobile behavior of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn in 42 representative soil samples from the Linhuan subsidence of Huaibei Coalfield, Anhui Province, China. The results showed that mean concentrations of heavy metals were higher than background values of Huaibei City surface soil by a factor of 1.16 to 3.21 (Cd, 3.21; Cr, 1.19; Cu, 1.16; Ni, 1.23; Zn, 1.85) except Pb (0.89). Most of the total Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were present in the residual forms (above 70 %), while Cd was dominated by the exchangeable forms (42 %). The correlations analysis showed that the mobility of Cd, Cu, Pb, and Zn in soil was affected by both physicochemical properties and total metal concentrations. In contrast, the moblity of Cr and Ni of soil was mainly affected by their total metal concentrations. According to assessments by the potential ecological risk index (RI) and the risk assessment code (RAC), Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn posed no or low risk. However, Cd presents high to very high risk, due to its higher exchangeable and carbonate-bound fractions.

Bioavailability evaluation, uptake of heavy metals and potential health risks via dietary exposure in urban-industrial areas

A verity of human activities i.e. urbanization and industrialization have been resulted serious environmental contaminations by heavy metals in all over the world. The settlement of populations in urban and nearby industrial areas for economic development has significant share in their exposure to these metallic contaminants. Depending on the nature and type of the pollutants, targeted urban-industrial environments can have harmful and chronic health risk impacts on exposed local inhabitants and may require detoxification, healing and remedial therapy. Consequently, environmental monitoring as well as human health risk assessments of urban environments under industrial influence are key dominant features. We believe this work will provide new insights into the studies of metals exposure and associated health risks in emerging industrials cities of developing countries. Present study aimed to study the bioavailability of metals, quantify the changeability in soil and vegetable metal concentrations and estimation of human health risks via dietary exposure, focusing on urban-industrial environment. Soil and vegetable samples were collected in six random sites within the urban, periurban and industrial areas and analyzed for metal concentrations. In addition, risk assessment model proposed by US-EPA was employed to estimate the potential health risk of heavy metals via dietary intake. Results indicated that the heavy metal concentrations were noteworthy in periurban and urban-industrial areas. However, contamination levels varied with the type of vegetable, and the point source pollution such as traffic, urban wastes and industrial effluent. According to the estimated THQ and HI values for non-carcinogenic risk, little or no negative impact of heavy metals was observed on local inhabitants. However, the concentrations of Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni were nearly closed to the permissible limits described by US-EPA in urban-industrial areas. Conclusively, some efficient remedial strategies should be focus to overcome the increasing levels of Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni in this study area to protect the health of local inhabitants.

Multivariate spatial analyses of the distribution and origin of trace and major elements in soils surrounding a secondary lead smelter

Major and trace elements in soils originate from natural processes and different anthropogenic activities which are difficult to discriminate. On a 17-ha impacted site in northern France, two industrial sources of soil contamination were xidentified: a former iron foundry and a current secondary lead smelter. To discriminate and map natural and anthropogenic sources of major and trace elements on this site, the rarely applied MULTISPATI-principal component analysis (PCA) method was used. Using a 20-m × 20-m grid, 247 topsoil horizons were sampled and analysed with a field-portable X-ray fluorescence analyser for screening soil contamination. The study site was heavily contaminated with Pb and, to a lesser degree, with Sn. Summary statistics and enrichment factors allowed the differentiation of the main lithogenic or anthropogenic origin of the elements. The MULTISPATI-PCA method, which explained 73.9 % of the variability with the three first factors, evidenced strong spatial structures. Those spatial structures were attributed to different natural and artificial processes in the study area. The first axis can be interpreted as a lithogenic effect. Axes 2 and 3 reflect the two different contamination sources. Pb, Sn and S originated from the secondary lead smelter while Fe and Ca were mainly derived from the old iron foundry activity and the old railway built with foundry sand. This study demonstrated that the MULTISPATI-PCA method can be successfully used to investigate multicontaminated sites to discriminate the various sources of contamination.

Estimated daily intake and health risk of heavy metals by consumption of milk

Cd, Co, Pb, Cu and Ni were analysed in 480 milk samples by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Mean concentrations were 0.001, 0.061, 0.014, 0.738 and 0.028 mg/kg, respectively. Mean concentration of Cd was very low, whereas Cu exceeded the maximum limits established by the Codex Alimentarius. In some areas, the Pb concentration exceeded the maximum limit as set by the Codex Alimentarius. The highest estimated daily intake (EDI) of Cu calculated for male infants (1-3 year) was 33.534 µg/kg bw/day, while the lowest EDI was recorded for Cd (0.004 µg/kg bw/day) in adult females above 16 years. The results suggested that Cu and Pb from milk in the investigated areas may pose a health risk to the consumers.

Remediation of cadmium- and lead-contaminated agricultural soil by composite washing with chlorides and citric acid

Composite washing of cadmium (Cd)- and lead (Pb)-contaminated agricultural soil from Hunan province in China using mixtures of chlorides (FeCl3, CaCl2) and citric acid (CA) was investigated. The concentrations of composite washing agents for metal removal were optimized. Sequential extraction was conducted to study the changes in metal fractions after soil washing. The removal of two metals at optimum concentration was reached. Using FeCl3 mixed with CA, 44% of Cd and 23% of Pb were removed, and 49 and 32% by CaCl2 mixed with CA, respectively. The mechanism of composite washing was postulated. A mixture of chlorides and CA enhanced metal extraction from soil through the formation of metal-chloride and metal-citrate complexes. CA in extract solutions promoted the formation of metal-chloride complexes and reduced the solution pH. Composite washing reduced Cd and Pb in Fe-Mn oxide forms significantly. Chlorides and CA exerted a synergistic effect on metal extraction during composite washing.

Quantification of PAHs and health risk via ingestion of vegetable in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan

This study was conducted to evaluate the concentrations of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the soil and vegetable irrigated with wastewater in 11 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province (Pakistan). The ∑16PAH ranged from 223 to 929 μg/kg in the soils with highest concentration in the soil of high urbanized district (Peshawar), while the lowest concentration in the soil of less urbanized district (Lakki Marwat). PAH concentrations in vegetable ranged from 51.6 to 402 μg/kg on dry weight bases (d.w). Naphthaene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene and pyrene were frequently observed in vegetable. The concentrations of higher molecular weight PAHs were lower in vegetable as compared to low molecular weight PAHs. The highest PAH concentrations were observed in leafy vegetable (lettuce>spinach). The highest TEQ value (7.2) was observed for pyrene following by naphthalene (4.9) for the samples collected from Mardan, while the lowest mean TEQ value (0.12) was found for acenaphthylene followed by benzo[k]fluoranthene (0.26) in Peshawar. The highest TEQ value was 4.1 for flouranthene followed by 3.8 for naphthalene in the KPK province. The uniqueness of this study is the quantification of PAHs in the soil and vegetable collected from a large area of KPK Province which are rapidly urbanizing.

Multivariate methods for evaluating the efficiency of electrodialytic removal of heavy metals from polluted harbour sediments

Chemometrics was used to develop a multivariate model based on 46 previously reported electrodialytic remediation experiments (EDR) of five different harbour sediments. The model predicted final concentrations of Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn as a function of current density, remediation time, stirring rate, dry/wet sediment, cell set-up as well as sediment properties. Evaluation of the model showed that remediation time and current density had the highest comparative influence on the clean-up levels. Individual models for each heavy metal showed variance in the variable importance, indicating that the targeted heavy metals were bound to different sediment fractions. Based on the results, a PLS model was used to design five new EDR experiments of a sixth sediment to achieve specified clean-up levels of Cu and Pb. The removal efficiencies were up to 82% for Cu and 87% for Pb and the targeted clean-up levels were met in four out of five experiments. The clean-up levels were better than predicted by the model, which could hence be used for predicting an approximate remediation strategy; the modelling power will however improve with more data included.

Impacts of human activities and sampling strategies on soil heavy metal distribution in a rapidly developing region of China

The impacts of industrial and agricultural activities on soil Cd, Hg, Pb, and Cu in Zhangjiagang City, a rapidly developing region in China, were evaluated using two sampling strategies. The soil Cu, Cd, and Pb concentrations near industrial locations were greater than those measured away from industrial locations. The converse was true for Hg. The top enrichment factor (TEF) values, calculated as the ratio of metal concentrations between the topsoil and subsoil, were greater near industrial location than away from industrial locations and were further related to the industry type. Thus, the TEF is an effective index to distinguish sources of toxic elements not only between anthropogenic and geogenic but also among different industry types. Target soil sampling near industrial locations resulted in a greater estimation in high levels of soil heavy metals. This study revealed that the soil heavy metal contamination was primarily limited to local areas near industrial locations, despite rapid development over the last 20 years. The prevention and remediation of the soil heavy metal pollution should focus on these high-risk areas in the future.

Status of metal levels and their potential sources of contamination in Southeast Asian rivers

To assess the concentration and status of metal contaminants in four major Southeast Asian river systems, water were collected from the Tonle Sap-Bassac Rivers (Cambodia), Citarum River (Indonesia), lower Chao Phraya River (Thailand), and Saigon River (Vietnam) in both dry and wet seasons. The target elements were Be, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Ag, Cd, Ba, Tl, and Pb and the concentrations exceeded the background metal concentrations by 1- to 88-fold. This distinctly indicates enrichment by human urban area activities. The results of a normalization technique used to distinguish natural from enriched metal concentrations confirmed contamination by Al, Cd, Co, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Cluster analysis revealed the probable source of metals contamination in most sampling sites on all rivers studied to be anthropogenic, including industrial, commercial, and residential activities. Stable lead isotopes analyses applied to track the sources and pathways of anthropogenic lead furthermore confirmed that anthropogenic sources of metal contaminated these rivers. Discharges of wastewater from both industrial and household activities were major contributors of Pb into the rivers. Non-point sources, especially road runoff and street dust, also contributed contamination from Pb and other metals.

Soil heavy metal contamination in an industrial area: analysis of the data collected during a decade

Soil contamination by heavy metals has become a serious problem mainly because, above certain concentrations, all metals have adverse effects on human health. In particular, the accumulation of heavy metals in agricultural soils leads to elevated uptake by crops and affects food quality and safety. In this paper, we present the results of a study carried out over a decade for evaluating the impact of a new industrial settlement in an area geared to agriculture and livestock and far from urban sites. We focus our study on the bioavailable fraction of Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn in soil samples. Heavy metal concentrations in soil are analysed with both univariate and multivariate statistical procedures. The main goal of this paper is the development of a statistical procedure, based on a mix of multivariate analysis, able to compare field surveys carried out during different years and to characterize spatial and temporal changes in soil heavy metals concentrations.

Accumulation of heavy metals in edible parts of vegetables irrigated with waste water and their daily intake to adults and children, District Mardan, Pakistan

Green vegetable crops irrigated with wastewater are highly contaminated with heavy metals and are the main source of human exposure to the contaminants. In this study accumulation of eight heavy metals (Cu, Ni, Zn, Cr, Fe, Mn, Co and Pb) in green vegetables like Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Solanum lycopersicum and Solanum melongena, irrigated with wastewater in Mardan are studied using Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer. The studied metals in vegetable grown on wastewater irrigated soil were significantly higher than those of tube well water irrigated soil and WHO/FAO permissible limits (P<0.05). The most heavily contaminated vegetable was wastewater irrigated A. cepa, where the accumulation of Mn (28.05 mg kg(-1)) in the edible parts was 50-fold greater than A. cepa irrigated with tube well water irrigated soil. It may be concluded that both adults and children consuming these vegetables grown in wastewater irrigated soil ingest significant amount of these metals and thus can cause serious health problems.

Aqua regia extracted metals in sediments from the industrial area and surroundings of Pančevo, Serbia

Surface and buried sediments were analyzed for Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Pb, Zn and V, as well as for total carbon and hydrogen to assess the distribution of sediment pollution due to the vicinity of the petrochemical complex. The samples, collected from 20 locations within the petrochemical complex and from 16 locations outside the complex, were aqua regia extracted and analyzed by ICP/OES. Metals were determined with an acceptable accuracy for certified metals of 82-113%. The precision for the aqua regia extraction was satisfactory, less than 20%, except for Cd where it was 28%. Comparison of the data from the petrochemical with those from the non-petrochemical areas showed different distributions of the metals. Metals that exceeded the baseline range; Ba, Cd, Cu, Zn and Pb, were detected in higher concentrations in sediments that were under the influence of the chlor-alkali plant within the petrochemical complex. Comparison with data from the petrochemical complex and its surroundings and their distribution demonstrated that the metal compositions of the sediments were modified by anthropogenic activities.