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Appraisal of contamination, source identification and health risk assessment of selected metals in the agricultural soil of Chakwal, Pakistan

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Abstract

Contamination of metals in agricultural soil is a serious global threat but there are limited reports related to their risks in major agronomic areas. The current study is aimed to assess the distribution of selected macroelements and essential/toxic trace metals (Ca, Mg, Na, K, Sr, Li, Ag, Fe, Zn, Co, Cu, Mn, Cd, Cr, Pb and Ni) in the agricultural soil of Chakwal, Pakistan, in order to appraise their contamination status, source identification and probable human health risks. Quantification of the metals was performed by AAS employing aqua regia digestion method. Among the selected metals, dominant mean concentrations were observed for Ca (48,285 mg/kg) and Fe (30,120 mg/kg), followed by Mg (9171 mg/kg), K (973.3 mg/kg), Mn (399.0 mg/kg) and Na (368.9 mg/kg). The correlation study indicated strong mutual relationships among the metals as well as physicochemical properties. Multivariate analysis (PCA/CA) of the metal levels revealed their diverse anthropogenic sources in the soil. Various pollution indices indicated extremely high contamination/enrichment of Cd, followed by moderate enrichment/contamination of Ag in the soil. The HQ values for most of the metals manifested insignificant non-cancer risks. The average CR value of Cr was exceeding the safe limit (1.0E-06) for both ingestion and inhalation exposure, indicating a considerable lifelong cancer risk for the population. The results of this study will provide a better understanding related to the contamination of agricultural soil and its effects on human health and to promote effective actions to reduce the soil pollution.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Code availability

Not applicable.

Abbreviations

ABS:

Dermal absorption factor

AF:

Adherence factor for soil to the skin

AT:

Average time

BD:

Bulk density

B n :

Average geochemical background value

BW:

Average body weight

CA:

Cluster analysis

Cf:

Contamination factor

CF:

Unit conversion factor

C m :

Average metal content in the soil or earth crust

C n :

Mean metal content in the soil sample

C o :

Reference value of the metal in uncontaminated soil

CR:

Cancer risk

C S :

Average level of the reference metal in soil or earth crust

CSF:

Carcinogenic slope factor

C soil :

Mean concentration of the metal in soil

EC:

Electrical conductivity

ED:

Exposure duration

EDI:

Exposure daily intake

EDIderm :

Estimated daily intake via dermal absorption

EDIing :

Estimated daily intake via ingestion

EDIinh :

Estimated daily intake via inhalation

EF:

Enrichment factor

EF:

Exposure frequency

HI:

Hazard index

HQing/derm/inh :

Hazard quotient via ingestion or dermal or inhalation routes

I geo :

Geoaccumulation index

ILCR:

Probability of an individual developing cancer over a lifetime

ISO:

International organization for standardization

mC d :

Modified degree of contamination

PCA:

Principal component analysis

PCs:

Principle components

PEF:

Particulate emission factor

QA:

Quality assurance

QC:

Quality control

RfD:

Corresponding reference dose

R ing :

Rate of intake through ingestion

R inh :

Rate of intake through inhalation

SA:

Exposed skin area

SD:

Standard deviation

SE:

Standard error

TDS:

Total dissolved solids

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Acknowledgements

The research facilities provided by Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan, to carry out this project are thankfully acknowledged.

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  1. Department of Chemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan

    Maryam Batool & Munir H. Shah

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MB involved in investigation, methodology, validation, formal analysis, data curation and writing—original draft. MHS involved in visualization, conceptualization, project administration, supervision, resources, funding acquisition, and writing/reviewing and editing. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Batool, M., Shah, M.H. Appraisal of contamination, source identification and health risk assessment of selected metals in the agricultural soil of Chakwal, Pakistan. Environ Geochem Health 45, 8295–8316 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01721-6

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