Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Sources evaluation, ecological and health risk assessment of potential toxic metals (PTMs) in surface soils of an industrial area, India

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Environmental Geochemistry and Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study aims to appraise the spatial distribution of potential toxic metals by using geostatistical technique and find their associated ecological and human health risks from surface soils of Durgapur industrial area, India. The results show that the mean metal concentrations are 116.03, 32.96, 154.37, 321.20, 50.08, 29.54 and 2.97 mg/kg for Pb, Cd, Cr, Fe, Cu, Ni and Hg, respectively, and majority of them is found higher than their background and world natural soil concentrations. The GIS contour map of pollution load index values clearly distinguished the studied sampling area is highly to very highly polluted by the toxic metals. Contamination factor (Cf) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) values of studied metals show a similar sequence of Hg > Cd > Pb > Fe > Cr > Ni > Cu. Calculated enrichment factor (EF) value for Hg (13.29), Cd (5.26) and Pb (1.11) in studied soils was found significantly higher, which suggests that their primary sources are higher industrial activities in the studied area. Computation of potential ecological risk index reveals that the entire study area is under high risk level (1941.60–3367.23), in which Cd (588.52) and Hg (1979.26) possess the maximum ecological risk factor in all the sampling sites. The results of correlation analysis, principle component analysis and cluster analysis explore that industrial discharges, atmospheric disposition and waste disposal are the major sources of soil metal pollution in the studied region. Human health hazard indices are lower than 1 for all metals, indicating low non-carcinogenic risks to children and adults. Carcinogenic risk assessment reveals the existence of cancer risk of Cd (5.5E−03), Cr (8.6E−04) and Ni (3.0E−04) to child and Cd (8.2E−04) and Cr (1.3E−04) to adults in Durgapur.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Acosta, J. A., Faz, C. A., Arocena, J. M., Debela, F., & Martinez-Martinez, S. (2009). Distribution of metals in soil particle size fractions and its implication to risk assessment of playgrounds in Murcia City (Spain). Geoderma, 149, 101–109.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Adriano, D. C. (1986). Trace elements in the terrestrial environments: Biogeochemistry, bioavailability, and risks of metals (p. 533). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Adriano, D. (2001). Trace elements in terrestrial environments: Biogeochemistry, bioavailability, and risks of metals (2nd ed., p. 866). New York: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahmad, M. K., Islam, S., Rahman, M. S., Haque, M. R., & Islam, M. M. (2010). Heavy metals in water, sediment and some fishes of Buriganga River, Bangladesh. International Journal of Environmental Research, 4(2), 321–332.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Khashman, O. A. (2012). Assessment of heavy metal accumulation in urban soil around Potash industrial site in the east of the Dead Sea and their environmental risks. Soil and Sediment Contamination: An International Journal, 21(2), 276–290.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Al-Khashman, O., & Shawabkeh, R. (2006). Metal distribution in soils around the cement factory in southern Jordan. Environmental Pollution, 140, 387–394.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Alsbou, E. M. E., & Al-Khashman, O. A. (2018). Heavy metal concentrations in roadside soil and street dust from Petra region, Jordan. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 190, 48–60.

    Google Scholar 

  • Banerjee, U. S., & Gupta, S. (2013). Impact of industrial waste effluents on river damodar adjacent to Durgapur industrial complex, West Bengal, India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 185, 2083–2094.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barkett, M. O., & Akün, E. (2018). Heavy metal contents of contaminated soils and ecological risk assessment in abandoned copper mine harbor in Yedidalga, Northern Cyprus. Environmental Earth Sciences, 77, 378–391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barman, S. C., Sahu, R. K., Bhargava, S. K., & Chatterjee, C. (2000). Distribution of heavy metals in wheat, mustard, and weed grown in fields irrigated with industrial effluents. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, 64, 489–496.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bhuiyan, M. A. H., Parvez, L., Islam, M. A., Dampare, S. B., & Suzuki, S. (2010). Heavy metal pollution of coal mine-affected agricultural soils in the northern part of Bangladesh. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 173, 384–392.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bouyoucos, G. J. (1951). A recalibration of the hydrometer method for making mechanical analysis of soils. Agronomy Journal, 43(9), 434–438.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bowen, H. J. M. (1979). Environmental chemistry of the elements. Waltham, MA: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cao, Z., Chen, Q., Wang, X., Zhang, Y., Wang, S., Wang, M., et al. (2018). Contamination characteristics of trace metals in dust from different levels of roads of a heavily air-polluted city in north China. Environmental Geochemistry and Health, 40, 2441–2452. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-018-0110-3.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Census (2011). Population Census of India is Collection of Census Data Reports by Govt of India. (http://censusindia.gov.in/2011-Common/CensusData2011.html.).

  • Chabukdhara, M., & Nema, A. K. (2013). Heavy metals assessment in urban soil around industrial clusters in Ghaziabad, India: Probabilistic health risk approach. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 87, 57–64.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Charlesworth, S., Everett, M., McCarthy, R., OrdSQez, A., & De Miguel, E. (2003). A comparative study of heavy metal concentration and distribution in deposited street dusts in a large and a small urban area: Birmingham and Coventry, West Midlands, UK. Environment International, 29, 563–573.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen, H., Teng, Y., Lu, S., Wang, Y., & Wang, J. (2015). Contamination features and health risk of soil heavy metals in China. Science of the Total Environment, 512, 143–153.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ćujić, M., Dragović, S., Đorđević, M., Dragović, R., & Gajić, B. (2016). Environmental assessment of heavy metals around the largest coal fired power plant in Serbia. Catena, 139, 44–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira-Baptista, L., & De-Miguel, E. (2005). geochemistry and risk assessment of street dust in Luanda, Angola. A Tropical Urban Environment. Atmospheric Environment, 39, 4501–4512.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao, H., Bai, J., Xiao, R., Liu, P., Jiang, W., & Wang, J. (2013). Levels, sources and risk assessment of trace elements in wetland soils of a typical shallow freshwater lake, China. Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment, 27, 275–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ghrefat, H. A., Yusuf, N., Jamarh, A., & Nazzal, J. (2012). Fractionation and risk assessment of heavy metals in soil samples collected along Zerqa River, Jordan. Environmental Earth Sciences, 66, 199–208.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gope, M., Masto, R. E., George, J., & Balachandran, S. (2018). Tracing source, distribution and health risk of potentially harmful elements (PHEs) in street dust of Durgapur, India. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 154, 280–293.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gope, M., Reginald, E. M., Joshy, G., Raza, G. R. H., & Srinivasan, B. (2017). Bioavailability and health risk of some potentially toxic elements (Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn) in street dust of Asansol, India. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 138, 231–241.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guney, M., Zagury, G. J., Dogan, N., & Onay, T. T. (2010). Exposure assessment and risk characterization from trace elements following soil ingestion by children exposed to playgrounds, parks and picnic areas. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 182, 656–664.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, G., Wu, F., Xie, F., & Zhang, R. (2012). Spatial distribution and pollution assessment of heavy metals in urban soils from southwest China. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 24, 410–418.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, S., Satpati, S., Nayek, S., & Garai, D. (2010). Effect of wastewater irrigation on vegetables in relation to bioaccumulation of heavy metals and biochemical changes. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 165, 169–177.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gupta, S., Satpati, S., Saha, R. N., & Nayek, S. (2013). Assessment of spatial and temporal variation of pollutants along a natural channel receiving industrial wastewater. International Journal of Environmental Engineering, 5(1), 52–69.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hakanson, L. (1980). An ecological risk index for aquatic pollution control. A Sedimentological Approach. Water Research, 14, 975–1001.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hamad, S. H., Schauer, J. J., Shafer, M. M., Al-Rheem, E. A., Skaar, P. S., Heo, J., et al. (2014). Risk assessment of total and bioavailable potentially toxic elements (PTEs) in urban soils of Baghdad, Iraq. Science of the Total Environment, 494–495, 39–48.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hossain, M. A., Ali, N. M., Islam, M. S., & Hossain, H. Z. (2014). Spatial distribution and source apportionment of heavy metals in soils of Gebeng industrial city, Malaysia. Environmental Earth Sciences, 73, 115–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu, Y., Liu, X., Bai, J., Shih, K., Zeng, E. Y., & Cheng, H. (2013). Assessing heavy metal pollution in the surface soils of a region that had undergone three decades of intense industrialization and urbanization. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 20, 6150–6159.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Islam, M. S., Proshad, R., & Ahmed, S. (2018). Ecological risk of heavy metals in sediment of an Urban River in Bangladesh. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 24(3), 699–720.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kabata-Pendias, A. (2011). Trace elements in soils and plants (4th ed.). Milton Park, FL : Taylor and Francis Group, LLC. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479711000743.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Khillare, P. S., Balachandran, S., & Meena, B. R. (2004). Spatial and temporal variation of heavy metals in atmospheric aerosol of Delhi. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 90, 1–21.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Khillare, P. S., Jyethi, D. S., & Sarkar, S. (2012). Health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals via dietary intake of vegetables grown in the vicinity of thermal power plants. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 50, 1642–1652.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kisku, G. C., Pandey, P., Negi, M. P. S., & Misra, V. (2011). Uptake and accumulation of potentially toxic metals (Zn, Cu and Pb) in soils and plants of durgapur industrial belt. Journal of Environmental Biology, 32, 831–838.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Krishna, A. K., & Mohan, K. R. (2016). Distribution, correlation, ecological and health risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in surface soils around an industrial area, Hyderabad, India. Environmental Earth Sciences, 75, 411–427.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laing, G. D., Meyer, B. D., Meers, E., Lesage, E., Moortel, A. V. D., Tack, F. M. G., et al. (2008). Metal accumulation in intertidal marshes: Role of sulphide precipitation. Wetlands, 28, 735–746.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu, L., Zhang, X., & Zhong, T. (2015). Pollution and Health risk assessment of heavy metals in urban soil in China. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment: An International Journal, 22, 424–434.

    Google Scholar 

  • Machender, G., Dhakate, R., Prasanna, L., & Govil, P. K. (2011). Assessment of heavy metal contamination in soils around Balanagar industrial area, Hyderabad, India. Environmental Earth Sciences, 63, 945–953.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Muller, G. (1969). Index of geoaccumulation in sediments of the rhine river. GeoJournal, 2, 108–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nayek, S., Gupta, S., & Saha, R. N. (2010). Metal accumulation and its effects in relation to biochemical response of vegetables irrigated with metal contaminated water and wastewater. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 178, 588–595.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nayek, S., Gupta, S., Saha, R. N., & Satpati, S. (2011). Heavy metal translocation in soil near to the effluent discharge channel of industrial complex, West Bengal, India. Asian Journal of Water, Environment and Pollution, 8(2), 11–16.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nayek, S., Roy, S., Dutta, S., Saha, R. N., & Chakraborty, T. (2013). Dynamics of metal distribution in cultivated soil and vegetables in vicinity to industrial deposition: An inference to chemical contamination of food Chain. International Journal of Chemoinformatics and Chemical Engineering, 3(2), 117–124.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pastrana-Corral, M. A., Wakida, F. T., Temores-Peña, J., Rodriguez-Mendivil, D. D., García-Flores, E., Piñon-Colin, T. D. J., et al. (2017). Heavy metal pollution in the soil surrounding a thermal power plant in Playas de Rosarito, Mexico. Environmental Earth Sciences, 76, 583–591.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pathak, A. K., Kumar, R., Kumar, P., & Yadav, S. (2015). Sources apportionment and spatiotemporal changes in metal pollution in surface and sub-surface soils of a mixed type industrial area in India. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 159, 169–177.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pobi, K. K., Nayek, S., & Saha, R. N. (2017). Assessment of heavy metals in water, sediment and adjacent soil of a contaminated channel in durgapur industrial zone, West Bengal, India. International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, 43(4), 275–285.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pobi, K. K., Satpati, S., Dutta, S., Nayek, S., Saha, R. N., & Gupta, S. (2019). Sources evaluation and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals accumulated within a natural stream of Durgapur industrial zone, India, by using multivariate analysis and pollution indices. Applied Water Science, 9, 58–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reeuwijk, L. P. (Ed.). (1995). Procedure for Soil Analysis, 5th edn. ISRIC Technical Paper 9. Wageningen. https://www.scirp.org/(S(351jmbntvnsjt1aadkposzje))/reference/ReferencesPapers.aspx?ReferenceID=43229.

  • Rhoades, D. (1982). Soluble salts. In Page, A. L., Miller, R. H., & Keeney, D. R. (Eds.), Methods of soil analysis, part II, 2nd edn. Madison, WI, USA: American Society of Agronomy. http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/universal/printedprogpageshow.cfm?pagenum=0&progkey=1360&county=5120.

  • Severini, M. D. F., Carbone, M. E., Villagran, D. M., & Marcovecchio, J. E. (2018). Toxic metals in a highly urbanized industry-impacted estuary (Bahia Blanca Estuary, Argentina): Spatio-temporal analysis based on GIS. Environmental Earth Sciences, 77, 393–411.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shen, F., Liao, R., Ali, A., Mahar, A., Guo, D., Li, R., et al. (2017). Spatial distribution and risk assessment of heavy metals in soil near a Pb/Zn smelter in Feng County, China. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 139, 254–262.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sofianska, E., & Michailidis, K. (2015). Chemical assessment and fractionation of some heavy metals and arsenic in agricultural soils of the mining affected Drama plain, Macedonia, Northern Greece. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187, 101–116.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sutherland, R. A. (2000). Bed sediment-associated trace metals in an urban stream, Oahu. Hawaii. Environmental Geology, 39(6), 611–627. https://doi.org/10.1007/s002540050473.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tomlinson, D. L., Wilson, J. G., Harris, C. R., & Jeffrey, D. W. (1980). Problems in the assessment of heavy-metal levels in estuaries and the formation of a pollution index. Helgolander Meeresunters, 33, 566–575.

    Google Scholar 

  • USEPA, (United States Environmental Protection Agency). (1989). Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund, Vol. I: Human Health Evaluation Manual. EPA/540/1-89/002. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

  • USEPA, (United States Environmental Protection Agency). (2001). Risk Assessment Guidance for Superfund: Volume III—Part A, Process for Conducting Probabilistic Risk Assessment. EPA 540-R-02-002. Washington, D.C.:US Environmental Protection Agency.

  • USEPA, Method 3051a. (2007). Microwave assisted acid dissolution of sediments, sludges, soils, and oils, revision 1. Washington, DC: United States Environmental Protection Agency.

    Google Scholar 

  • Walkley, A., & Black, I. A. (1934). An Examination of Degtjareff method for determining soil organic matter and a proposed modification of the chromic acid titration method. Soil Science, 37, 29–37.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, G., Zhang, S., Xiao, L., Zhong, Q., Li, L., Xu, G., et al. (2017). Heavy metals in soils from a typical industrial area in sichuan, china: Spatial distribution, source identification, and ecological risk assessment. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 24, 16618–16630.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wedepohl, K. H. (1986). Geochemistry in Handbook of geochemistry. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Yu, J., Huang, Z., Chen, T., Qin, D., Zeng, X., & Huang, Y. (2011). Evaluation of ecological risk and source of heavy metals in vegetable-growing soils in Fujian Province, China. Environmental Earth Sciences, 65, 29–37.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, C., Qiao, Q., Piper, J. D. A., & Huang, B. (2011). Assessment of heavy metal pollution from a fe-smelting plant in urban river sediments using environmental magnetic and geochemical methods. Environmental Pollution, 159, 3057–3070.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, L., Xu, Y., Hou, H., Shangguan, Y., & Li, F. (2014). Source identification and health risk assessment of metals in urban soils around the Tanggu chemical industrial district, Tianjin, China. Science of the Total Environment, 468–469, 654–662.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Authors sincerely acknowledge DST-FIST (SR/FST/CSI-267/2015 (C)) and National Institute of Technology (NIT), Durgapur, for creating and providing infrastructural facilities throughout the research work. Authors also greatly acknowledge DST, GOI, for partial financial support (Project No. SB/EMEQ-115/2013 dated 08.07.2013).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur, West Bengal, 713209, India

    Krishnendu Kumar Pobi, Manash Gope & Rajnarayan Saha

  2. Department of Environmental Science, Amity Institute of Applied Sciences, Amity University, Kolkata, 700135, India

    Sumanta Nayek

  3. Department of Mining Engineering (Geomatics), Indian Institute of Technology (ISM), Dhanbad, Jharkhand, 826004, India

    Atul Kumar Rai

Authors
  1. Krishnendu Kumar Pobi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sumanta Nayek
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Manash Gope
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Atul Kumar Rai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Rajnarayan Saha
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rajnarayan Saha.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Pobi, K.K., Nayek, S., Gope, M. et al. Sources evaluation, ecological and health risk assessment of potential toxic metals (PTMs) in surface soils of an industrial area, India. Environ Geochem Health 42, 4159–4180 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00517-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-020-00517-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation