TITLE:
An Assessment of Heavy-Metal Contamination in Soils within Auto-Mechanic Workshops Using Enrichment and Contamination Factors with Geoaccumulation Indexes
AUTHORS:
Isaac A. Ololade
KEYWORDS:
Heavy Metals, Soil Contamination, Soil Profiles, Automobile Mechanic, Enrichment Factor, Geoaccumulation Index
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Environmental Protection,
Vol.5 No.11,
August
26,
2014
ABSTRACT: Soil
characterization and heavy metals in different layers (0 - 15 cm; 15 - 30 cm
and 30 - 45 cm depth) of automobile mechanic waste dumps were studied. The
soils showed remarkably high levels of all the metals above background
concentrations with most (Ni, Cu, Fe, Cr and Cd) decreasing with soil depth.
The distribution pattern were in the following order Fe > Cu > Zn > Pb
> Cr > Ni > Cd. Across all the sampling locations and profiles, Fe and Cd
showed the highest (476.4 μg·g-1) and least (37.5 μg·g-1) mean concentrations respectively. Pollution
load index (PLI) and index of geoaccumulation (Igeo)
revealed overall high and moderate contamination respectively but the
enrichment factors (EFs) for Pb Ni and Cd are severe. The inter-element
relationship revealed the identical source of elements in the soils of the
studied area. The accuracy of the results has been cheeked using the standard
reference material; SRM (PACS-2). The mechanic waste dumps represent potential
sources of heavy metal pollution to environment. The elevated levels of heavy
metals in these soil profiles constitute a serious threat to both surface and
groundwater.