Abstract
Soil pollution by potentially toxic elements (PTEs) as one of the major environmental hazards is associated with metal exploration and refining acting. In this study, forty-five topsoil samples surrounding a copper smelter factory were taken and analysed using standard routine methods. The total concentration, chemical fractionation and the mobility potential of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb and Zn were analysed. Additionally, the spatial distribution of PTEs, the potential ecotoxicological, and human health risks was assessed. The range of total Cu was 1478–4718 mg kg−1, reaching up to 501.5, 21.6, 118.4, 573.5 and 943.3 mg kg−1 for total contents of As, Cd, Cr, Pb and Zn, respectively. The potentially available fractions after sequential extraction reveal all studied PTE were dramatically mobile and available in the studied area (86%, 69.3%, 59.5%, 87.2%, 84% and 68% for As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Zn and Cu, respectively), reflecting that the concentration and accumulation of these elements are profoundly affected or originated by smelting activities and deposition of atmospheric emissions of the Cu smelting factory. The spatial distribution of all PTEs indicated that concentrations of these element near the smelter Cu-factory were elevated. Accordingly, the ecotoxicology status of the studied area suggests that significantly high risks are posed by the measured PTEs. Non-carcinogenic effects of As, Pb and Cu were significantly much higher than the recommended value (HI = 1), suggesting that these three PTEs could adversely impact children's health. For adults, only the HI value of As was greater than one.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Meysam Akhoondi and Amin Heydariyan for their assistance during the sampling and laboratory chemical analysis. We acknowledge the financial support from the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal) and CIIMAR for their individual research contract (CEECIND/03794/2017) and the Strategic Funding UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020.
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ARS would like to express their thanks to the FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology, Portugal) and CIIMAR for their individual research contract (CEECIND/03794/2017) and the Strategic Funding UIDB/04423/2020 and UIDP/04423/2020.
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Milad Mirzaei Aminiyan contributed to writing—original draft, chemical analysis, investigation, methodology, mapping and GIS analysis, and project administration; Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman contributed to writing—review and editing; Andres Rodriguez-Seijo contributed to writing—review and editing; Raziyeh Hajiali Begloo contributed to data analysis and Public Health Methodology; Meysam Cheraghi contributed to chemical analysis, investigation, and methodology; Farzad Mirzaei Aminiyan contributed to formal analysis, methodology, and conceptualization.
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Aminiyan, M.M., Rahman, M.M., Rodríguez-Seijo, A. et al. Elucidating of potentially toxic elements contamination in topsoils around a copper smelter: Spatial distribution, partitioning and risk estimation. Environ Geochem Health 44, 1795–1811 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-021-01057-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-021-01057-z