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Heavy Metal Pollution Assessment Using Energy-Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence and Multivariate Statistical Approach of Soil from Phosphate Ore Sites, Southern Region of Togo

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Abstract

Optimization of different types of exposure to workers, public, and vegetation is a major issue for several institutions. The main exposure is due to the activities related to various ores of the subsoil such as phosphate which generates heavy metals during its exploitation. This study used the energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry to investigate the heavy metal pollution that affects life on earth. Fifteen different heavy metals were detected in soil samples from sites dedicated to phosphate ore activities in southern Togo. Results showed that the concentrations of the different heavy metals decreased in the following order: Ca > Fe > K > Ti > Sr > Zn > Zr > Y > Ni > Cu > Pb > U > Br > Rb > Th. Cadmium was not detected while lead remained the most toxic element with a maximum level of 52.4 mg kg−1. Basic statistics depicts strong positive correlations between Ni, Cu, Zn, and Fe which shows that their respective concentrations increased together. Principal component analysis was used to categorize all these data into three groups using two principal axes which recover 88.06% information. The geoacumulation index from Hahotoé-Kpogamé-Kpémé soil samples varies from class 0 to class 4 displaying that these areas are moderately polluted and was mainly due to Pb metal concentration. The potential ecological risk levels vary from 157 to 385, which corresponds to moderate and considerable levels. Therefore, these areas could be assumed to be safe regarding these levels. The moderate level observed on these various sites does not present a warning sign but should lead the legislators to establish routine monitoring in order to detect any change in the level of pollution due to heavy metals.

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adopted from Nečemer et al., 2008)

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their great appreciation and gratitude to Director-General of the Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI) Prof. dr. Jadran Lenarčič for the laboratory support and Mr. N’zonou Magnoudéwa for helping us during the sampling period. The authors appreciate the collaboration of population from Hahotoé-Kpogamé and Kpémé during sampling and sample collection period. We also thank the Reviewers and Editors of this paper from Journal of Water, Air, & Soil Pollution for their positive comments.

Funding

This research was funded by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) under Sandwich Training Educational Programme (STEP 2017); recipient: Mr. Eyakifama Hazou.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Lomé, 01, P.O. Box 1515, Lomé, Togo

    Eyakifama Hazou, Essolakina Manakrihèa Haliba & Komi Paalamwé Tchakpele

  2. Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Benjamin Zorko & Marijan Nečemer

  3. Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Lomé, 01, P.O. Box 1515, Lomé, Togo

    Etsè Aziable

  4. Fundamental Physics Laboratory, Mathematics, Applied Computer Sciences and Fundamental Physics, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon

    Cebastien Joel Guembou Shouop

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  1. Eyakifama Hazou
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Contributions

All authors contributed to achieve this manuscript.

Hazou E.: soil sample collection, preparation and data curation, methodology, investigation, writing—original draft and editing.

Zorko B.: data analysis, conceptualization, validation, and writing—review.

Nečemer M.: supervision, conceptualization, validation, and writing—review.

Haliba M. E.: conceptualization, risk assessment, methodology, and editing.

Aziable E.: statistical analysis, data curation, methodology, visualization, and editing.

Guembou S. C. J.: conceptualization, methodology, data curation, editing, and writing—review.

Tchakpele K. P.: supervision, conceptualization, validation, and writing—review.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eyakifama Hazou.

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Hazou, E., Zorko, B., Nečemer, M. et al. Heavy Metal Pollution Assessment Using Energy-Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence and Multivariate Statistical Approach of Soil from Phosphate Ore Sites, Southern Region of Togo. Water Air Soil Pollut 232, 489 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-021-05439-y

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