Al-Taani Ahmed A, Nazzal Yousef, Howari Fares M, Iqbal Jibran, Bou Orm Nadine, Xavier Cijo Madathil, Bărbulescu Alina, Sharma Manish, Dumitriu Cristian-Stefan
College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab Emirates.
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Yarmouk University, Irbid 21163, Jordan.
Toxics. 2021 Mar 10;9(3):53. doi: 10.3390/toxics9030053.
The Liwa area is a primary food production area in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and has intensively been used for agriculture. This study investigates the pollution levels with heavy metals in agricultural soils from the Liwa area. Thirty-two soil samples were analyzed for Mn, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, Cd, Co, and As. Results revealed that heavy metal levels varied in the ranges 220.02-311.21, 42.39-66.92, 43.43-71.55, 32.86-52.12, 10.29-21.70, 2.83-8.84, 0.46-0.69, 0.03-0.37 mg/kg for Mn, Zn, Cr, Ni, Cu, Pb, Cd, Co, and As, respectively. All samples presented low As concentrations with an average of 0.01 mg/kg. The variations in bulk metal contents in the soil samples were related to multiple sources, including agrochemicals, atmospheric dust containing heavy metals, and traffic-related metals. Enrichment factor analysis indicates that Cd, Ni, Zn, and Cr were highly enriched in soils, and they could originate from non-crustal sources. Based on the geo-accumulation index (I), the soil samples appeared uncontaminated with Mn, Cr, Zn, Pb, Co, As, Cu, uncontaminated to moderately contaminated with Ni and moderately contaminated with Cd. The contamination factors suggest low contamination, except for Ni, which showed moderate contamination. The average pollution load index (PLI) revealed unpolluted to low pollution of all soil samples. The ecological risk assessment (PERI) showed that all heavy metals posed a low risk, except for Cd which exhibited a high ecological risk.
利瓦地区是阿拉伯联合酋长国(阿联酋)的主要粮食产区,已被密集用于农业生产。本研究调查了利瓦地区农业土壤中的重金属污染水平。对32个土壤样本进行了锰、锌、铬、镍、铜、铅、镉、钴和砷的分析。结果显示,锰、锌、铬、镍、铜、铅、镉、钴和砷的重金属含量范围分别为220.02 - 311.21、42.39 - 66.92、43.43 - 71.55、32.86 - 52.12、10.29 - 21.70、2.83 - 8.84、0.46 - 0.69、0.03 - 0.37毫克/千克。所有样本的砷浓度均较低,平均为0.01毫克/千克。土壤样本中总金属含量的变化与多种来源有关,包括农用化学品、含重金属的大气尘埃以及与交通相关的金属。富集因子分析表明,镉、镍、锌和铬在土壤中高度富集,它们可能来自非地壳来源。根据地积累指数(I),土壤样本中锰、铬、锌、铅、钴、砷、铜未受污染,镍未受污染至中度污染,镉中度污染。污染因子表明除镍显示中度污染外,污染程度较低。平均污染负荷指数(PLI)显示所有土壤样本未受污染至轻度污染。生态风险评估(PERI)表明,除镉表现出高生态风险外,所有重金属的风险较低。