Assessment of Heavy Metals Contamination of Topsoil and Street Dust around Cement Factory in Southern Jordan

Evaluation of assessment of the metal processes governing the metals distribution in soil and dust samples is very significant and protects the health of human and ecological system. Recently, special attention has given to the assessment of metals pollution impact on soil and dust within industrial areas. This study aims to assess the metal contamination levels in the topsoil and street dust around the cement factory in Qadissiya area, southern Jordan. The levels of seven metals (namely Fe, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Cd, and Mn) were analyzed using Flame Atomic Absorption Spec-trophotometer (FAAS) to monitor, evaluate, and to compare topsoil and road dust pollution values of metals of the different types of urban area. The physicochemical parameters which believed to affect the mobility of metals in the soil of the study area were determined such as pH, EC, TOM, CaCO3 and CEC. The levels of metal in soil samples are greater on the surface but decrease in the lower part as a result of the basic nature of soil. The mean values of the metals in soil can be arranged in the following order: Zn > Pb > Mn > Fe > Cu > Cr > Cd. The relatively high concentration of metals in the soil sample was attributed to anthropogenic activities such as traffic emissions, cement factory and agricultural activities. Correlation coefficient analysis and the spatial distribution of indices and the results of statistical analysis indicate three groups of metals: Fe and Mn result by natural origin, Zn, Pb, Cu and Zn result by anthropogenic origin (mainly motor vehicle traffic and abrasion of tires) while Cd is mixed origin. The higher content level values of metals of anthropogenic source in soil samples indicate that it is a source of contamination of air in the studied area. .

Study Progress in Remediation of Soil Contaminated by Heavy Metals and Its Application Prospect

Flax is an ideal crop for remedying soil contaminated by heavy metals. It has high tolerance to heavy metals and strong adsorption to heavy metals. Through properly using or adjusting external conditions such as regulator, moisture, fertilizer, microorganisms, and pH value, it is able to improve ability of flax to absorb, trans- fer, and accumulate heavy metals. To improve the ability of flax in remediating heavy metal contaminated soil, it is recommended to strengthen cultivation of flax varieties and screening of germplasm resources, actively carry out studies on tech- nologies of fax remedying heavy metal contaminated soil, implement large-scale and mechanized planting of flax, and promote control of heavy metal contaminated soil.

Application of Principal Component Analysis, Cluster Analysis, Pollution Index and Geoaccumulation Index in Pollution Assessment with Heavy Metals from Gold Mining Operations, Tanzania

Gold mining is now widely acknowledged as one of the significant sources of soil pollution in developed countries. In developing countries, the sources and levels of soil contamination have not been thoroughly addressed. Thus, this study was intended to determine the source of soil pollution and the level of contamination in the active and closed gold mining areas. The research paper presents the pollution load of heavy metals (lead-Pb, chromium-Cr, cadmium-Cd, copper-Cu, arsenic-As, manganese-Mn, and nickel-Ni) in 90 soil samples collected from the studied sites. Multivariate statistical analysis, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Cluster Analysis (CA), coupled with correlation coefficient analysis, was performed to determine the possible sources of pollution in the study areas. The results indicated that Pb, Cr, Cu and Mn come from different sources than Cd, As and Ni. The results obtained from the metal pollution assessment using the Pollution Index (PI) and the Geoaccumulation Index (Igeo) confirmed that soils in the mining areas were contaminated in the range from moderately through strongly to highly contaminated soils. This study verified that soil contamination in the gold mining areas results from natural and anthropogenic processes. The current study findings would enhance our knowledge regarding the soil contamination level in the mining areas and the source of contamination. It is recommended to use PCA, CA, PI and Igeo to assess and monitor the heavy metal contaminated soil in gold mining areas.

Spatial Distribution and Seasonal Variations of Heavy Metal Contamination in Surface Waters of Liaohe River, Northeast China

Heavy metal pollutants are a worldwide concern due to slow decomposition, biocondensation, and negative effects on human health. We investigated seasonal and spatial variations of the five heavy metals and evaluated their health risk in the Liaohe River, Northeast China. A total of 324 surface water samples collected from 2009 to 2010 were analyzed. Levels(high to low) of heavy metals in the Liaohe River were: zinc(Zn) > chromium(Cr) > copper(Cu) > cadmium(Cd) > mercury(Hg). Spatial and seasonal changes impacting concentrations of Cu and Zn were significant, but not significant for Cr, Cd and Hg. The highest concentrations of heavy metals were: Hg at Liuheqiao, Cu at Fudedian, Zn at Tongjiangkou, Cr at Mahushan, and Cd at Shenglitang. The highest concentrations of Hg and Cr were found in the wet period, Cu and Cd in the level period, and Zn in the dry period. The surface water of a tributary was an important accumulation site for heavy metals. Health risks from carcinogens and non-carcinogens increased from upstream to downstream in the mainstream of the Liaohe River. The total health risk for one person in the Liaohe River exceeded acceptable levels. The total health risk was the greatest during the wet period and least in the dry period. Among the five heavy metals in the Liaohe River, Cr posed the greatest single health risk.

GIS Mapping, Biomonitoring and Distribution of Heavy Metal Concentrations Using Neem (Azadirachta indica) Bark in Makurdi Town, Benue State, Nigeria

The present work determined the concentration and spatial distribution of heavy metals (As, Hg, Cr, Cd and Pb) in soil samples from Makurdi and its environs using geographic information system (GIS). The specific objective is to produce the spatial distribution maps showing the spatial distribution of toxic heavy metals in the study area. Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW), a GIS technique was used to produce dotted maps showing the spatial distribution of heavy metals in neem bark for better visualization of contamination zones and non-contamination zones. The map reveals few hotspot areas showing areas of high concentrations of the heavy metals investigated which were identified in red colours, the following concentration ranges were obtained;As (4.71 - 6.43 mg/kg), Cd (13.9 - 16.84 mg/kg), Cr (46.3 - 60.84 mg/kg), Hg (3.70 - 5.05 mg/kg) and Pb (24.02 - 31.34 mg/kg). These hotspot areas were found close to business outlets, fuel filling and service stations, farm sites where the application of fertilizers and pesticides were persistent coupled with heavy traffic of vehicles and other machinery which was associated with As, Hg, Cd, Pb and Cr been released into the environment thus, suggesting anthropogenic activities controlling the concentration of these heavy metals in the study areas. The cumulative effect of these heavy metals into the barks of neem could pose as danger, because this plant is used as herbs in folk medicine.

Effects of Red Mud on the Remediation of Pb, Zn and Cd in Heavy Metal Contaminated Paddy Soil

[Objective] To study the remediation efficiency of red mud on Pb, Zn and Cd in the heavy metal contaminated paddy soil of mine area, to clarify its remediation mechanism and fertilizer efficiency on heavy metal contaminated soil. [Method] The soil incubation experiment was conducted to study the effect of red mud on the pH values and electrical conductivity （EC）, and the remediation efficiency of red mud on lead （Pb）, zinc （Zn） and cadmium （Cd） in heavy metal contaminated soil. [Result] Red mud addition reduced the content of exchangeable Pb, Zn and Cd in the soil significantly. Compared with the control, when incubated for 30, 60 and 90 d with the red mud dosage of 4% （W/W）, the exchangeable Pb content was decreased by 39.25%, 41.38% and 50.19%; exchangeable Zn content was decreased by 49.26%, 57.32% and 47.16%; and exchangeable Cd content was decreased by 19.53%, 24.06% and 25.70%, respectively. The application of red mud had significant impact on the share of Pb, Zn and Cd contents in five forms, and different amounts of red mud application all reduced the proportion of exchangeable Pb, Zn and Cd to the total Pb, Zn and Cd. In addition, the proportion of exchangeable Pb, Zn and Cd to total Pb, Zn and Cd decreased with the increasing amount of red mud addition. [Conclusion] The study provided references for reasonable application of red mud and reduction of heavy metal pollution in paddy soil.

Mechanical properties of anti-seepage grouting materials for heavy metal contaminated soil

Cement-based composite grouting materials were used to construct grouting cutoff wall for heavy metal contaminated soil in non-ferrous metal mining areas. Cement, fly ash, and slag as principal ingredients were mixed with water glass in different ways to produce three composite grouting materials. In order to investigate the effect of water glass mixing ratio, Baume degree, fly ash and slag contents on the mechanical properties of the composite grouting materials, particularly their gel time and compressive strength, the beaker-to-beaker method of gel time test and unconfined compressive strength test were conducted. In addition, the phase composition and microstructure of the composite grouting materials were analyzed by the X-ray diffraction（XRD） and scanning electron microscope（SEM） techniques. The test results show that their gel time increases when water glass mixing ratio and Baume degree increase. The gel time increases dramatically when fly ash is added, but decreases slightly if fly ash is partly replaced by slag. When the mixing ratio of water glass is below 20%, their compressive strength increases with the increases of the ratio; when the ratio is above 20%, it significantly decreases. The compressive strength also tends to increase as Baume degree increases, and improves if fly ash and slag are added.

Effect of loess for preventing contamination of acid mine drainage from coal waste

Acid mine drainage （AMD） that releases highly acidic, sulfate and metals-rich drainage is a serious environmental problem in coal mining areas in China. In order to study the effect of using loess for preventing AMD and controlling heavy metals contamination from coal waste, the column leaching tests were conducted. The results come from experiment data analyses show that the loess can effectively immobilize cadmium, copper, iron, lead and zinc in AMD from coal waste, increase pH value, and decrease Eh, EC, and 8024- concentrations of AMD from coal waste. The oxidation of sulfide in coal waste is prevented by addition of the loess, which favors the generation and adsorption of the alkalinity, the decrease of the population of Thiobacillusferrooxidans, the heavy metals immobilization by precipitation of sulfide and carbonate through biological sul- fate reduction inside the column, and the halt of the oxidation process of sulfide through iron coating on the surface of sulfide in coal waste. The loess can effectively prevent AMD and heavy metals contamination from coal waste in in-situ treatment systems.

Comparative Study of the Efficacy of Metal Removal from Contaminated Aqueous Solutions by Solid Bidentate Ligands&Liquid Plant Materials

Heavy metal contaminated water sources pose serious health risks for humans,animals,and plants.Exposure to and ingestion of heavy metals have been associated to liver,kidney,and brain function.Objective:The aim of this research is to comparatively examine the metal removal efficacy of three solid bidentate chemicals and four plant materials.Study Design&Methods:Standard solutions of zinc(II)and lead(II)ions with concentrations of 1,000 ppm were respectively treated with OA(Oxalic Acid),dibasic bidentate ligands(sodium hydrogen phosphate and sodium carbonate).Then,the solutions were placed on a shaker for 15 h,centrifuged,and the supernatant was analyzed using ICP-AES(Inductively Coupled Plasma-Atomic Emission Spectrometry).Results:All the solid bidentate adsorbents were very effective in removing zinc and lead(>90%).However,more lead than zinc was removed across all adsorbents except for lemon where equal percent of zinc and lead(49%)were removed.OA and Na2HPO4 removed about equal amount of lead(>99%).The plant materials(SP(Spinach),bell pepper and GBP(Green Bell Pepper)),respectively and preferentially removed more lead(98.9%,98.3%,81.5%)than zinc(91.7%,46%,46%).Conclusion:Although plant materials have gained attraction for the remediation of heavy metal,however,some bidentate chemical ligands such as OA,sodium carbonate and sodium hydrogen phosphates are even more effective in removing these metals from contaminated water.Furthermore,heavier metals are preferentially removed than lighter metals.

Mechanical properties of fiber and cement reinforced heavy metal-contaminated soils as roadbed filling

The treatment of contaminated soil is a crucial issue in geotechnical and environmental engineering.This study proposes to incorporate appropriate polypropylene fibers and cements as an effective method to treat heavy metal contaminated soil(HMCS).The objective of this paper is to investigate the effects of fiber content,fiber length,cement content,curing time,heavy metal types and concentration on the mechanical properties of soils.To this end,a series of direct shear test,unconfined compression strength(UCS)test,dry-wet cycle and freeze-thaw cycle test are performed.The results confirm that the appropriate reinforcement of polypropylene fibers and cement is an effective way to recycle HMCS as substitutable fillers in roadbed,which exhibits benefits in environment and economy development.

Effect of sulfate erosion on strength and leaching characteristic of stabilized heavy metal contaminated red clay

Solidification/stabilization(S/S)technology has been widely used for remediation of the heavy metal contaminated soils.The heavy metal ions will be leached from the stabilized contaminated soil under sulfate erosion conditions,which gives rise tosecondary contamination to the areas around the mine sites.The commonly used Portland cement,fly ash and quicklime were takenas binder raw materials with various mix proportions.And then,the sulphuric acid and nitric acid method was used to investigate theleaching characteristic of stabilized heavy metal contaminated soils.The effects of binder types and binder contents,sulfateconcentrations(1.5,3.0and6.0g/L)and erosion time(0,7,14and28d)on leached concentrations of heavy metal ions fromcontaminated soils were studied.Moreover,a parameter named immobilization percentage(IP)was introduced to evaluate theinfluence of erosion time and sulfate concentration on immobilization effectiveness for heavy metal ions.The results showed that,theleached heavy metal concentrations increased with sulfate concentration and erosion time.Comparatively speaking,the compositebinders that had calcium oxide in it exhibited the worst solidification effectiveness and the lowest immobilization percentage,withthe largest leached heavy metal concentration.

Effect of cyclic drying and wetting on engineering properties of heavy metal contaminated soils solidified/stabilized with fly ash

Solidification/stabilization （S/S） is one of the most effective methods of dealing with heavy metal contaminated soils. The effects of cyclic wetting and drying on solidified/stabilized contaminated soils were investigated. A series of test program, unconfined compressive strength （UCS） test, TCLP leaching test and scanning electron microscopy （SEM） test, were performed on lead and zinc contaminated soils solidified/stabilized by fly ash. Test results show that UCS and the leaching characteristics of heavy metal ions of S/S contaminated soils are significantly improved with the increase of fly ash content. UCS of S/S soils firstly increases with the increase of the times of drying and wetting cycles, after reaching the peak, it decreases with it. When the pollutant content is lower （1 000 mg/kg）, the TCLP concentration first slightly decreases under cyclic drying and wetting, then increases, but the change is minor. The TCLP concentration is higher under a high pollutant content of 5 000 mg/kg, and increases with the increase of the times of drying and wetting cycles. The results of scanning electron microscopy （SEM） test are consistent with UCS tests and TCLP leaching tests, which reveals the micro-mechanism of the variations of engineering properties of stabilized contaminated soils after drying and wetting cycles.

Assessment of Cu, Pb and Hg Contamination in Bottom Sediments Of Surface Water in XuZhou

Pollution of heavy metals Cu,Pb and Hg is assessed using geo-accumulation index in this paper. The result shows that the bottom sediments of surface water in Xuzhou is polluted by these heavy metals to deferent degrees, of which the Jinma River is the most serious, and then the Kuihe River, the abandoned Yellow River, and the Jinghang Canal. The Yunlong Lake has also been polluted by Hg. The three kinds of heavy metals in the order of concentration is Hg>Cu>Pb. The pollution degree and the type of element is closely related with industrial structure in Xuzhou.

A Review of Pteridophyta Potential in Phytoremediation of Heavy Metal Contaminated Environments

Pteridophyta are vascular plants(plants with xylem and phloem) that reproduce and disperse via spores. In evolution,pteridophyta lie between bryophyta and spermatophyta. Pteridophyta have unique ecological characteristics of high environmental adaptation and barren resistance. Some varieties of pteridophyta have ability of excessive absorption and accumulation of heavy metals such as arsenic(As) and antimony(Sb). Besides,pteridophyta have excellent performance in absorbing such heavy metals as cadmium(Cd),lead(Pb),copper(Cu),and nickel(Ni),and rare earth elements. In this paper,a review was made for application,mechanism,and advantages of pteridophyta in remediation of heavy metal contaminated environments,and prospect and possible research fields of pteridophyta in phytoremediation were discussed.

Development of one-class classification method for identifying healthy T.granosa from those contaminated with uncertain heavy metals by LIBS

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy(LIBS)can be used for the rapid detection of heavy metal contamination of Tegillarca granosa(T.granosa),but an appropriate classification model needs to be constructed.In the one-class classification method,only target samples are needed in training process to achieve the recognition of abnormal samples,which is suitable for rapid identification of healthy T.granosa from those contaminated with uncertain heavy metals.The construction of a one-class classification model for heavy metal detection in T.granosa by LIBS has faced the problem of high-dimension and small samples.To solve this problem,a novel one-class classification method was proposed in this study.Here,the principal component scores and the intensity of the residual spectrum were combined as extracted features.Then,a one-class classifier based on Mahalanobis distance using the extracted features was constructed and its threshold was set by leave-one-out crossvalidation.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of the proposed method were reached to 1,0.9333 and 0.9667 respectively,which are superior to the previously reported methods.

Effect of amendments on growth and metal uptake of giant reed(Arundo donax L.) grown on soil contaminated by arsenic,cadmium and lead

The effects of five amendments such as acetic acid（AA）, citric acid （CA）, ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid （EDTA）, sepiolite and phosphogypsum on growth and metal uptake of giant reed （Arundo donax L.） grown on soil contaminated by arsenic （As）, cadmium （Cd） and lead （Pb） were studied. The results showed that the shoot biomass of giant reed was enhanced by 24.8% and 15.0%, while superoxide mutase and catalase activities slightly varied when adding 5.0 mmol/kg CA and 2.5 mol/kg EDTA to soil as compared to the control, respectively. The concentrations of As, Cd and Pb in shoots were remarkably increased by the addition of 2.5 mmol/kg AA and CA, 5.0 mmol/kg EDTA, and 4.0 g/kg sepiolite as compared to the control. The accumulations of As and Cd were also significantly enhanced in the above condition, while the shoot Pb accumulation was noticeably enhanced by amending with 4.0 g/kg sepiolite and 8.0 g/kg phosphogysum, respectively. The results suggested that AA, CA and sepiolite could be used as optimum soil amendments for giant reed remediation system.

Evaluation of heavy metal contamination hazards in nuisance dust particles, in Kurdistan Province, western Iran

The effects of natural andgeochemical factors depending on heavy metal contamination in nuisance dust particles were evaluated. The nuisance dust particles were sampled using passive deposit gauge method for one year from April2010 to March2011 and the obtained samples were measured for the total contents and the contamination levels of Fe, Mn, Cu and As usinggeo-accumulation index （Igeo ）, enrichment factor （EF） and the integrated pollution index （IPI）. The results showed that, the contamination levels of Fe and Mn based on Igeo values, were uncontaminated （Igeo 〈 0） （variations of the Igeo index was from -3.11 to -1.751 for Fe, from -0.630 to -1.925 for Mn）, while the values of Cu and As were demonstrated to have moderate contamination based on Igeo values （variations of Igeo index was from -1.125 to 0.848 for Cu, and from -2.002 to 1.249 for As）. The analysis of EF also revealed minor to moderate enrichment for Mn （1.215-4.214）, minor to moderately severe enrichment for Cu （2.791-6.484）, and As （1.370-8.462）, respectively. The variation of the IPI index also showed low to moderate level of heavy metal pollution in nuisance dust particulates （0.511-1.829）. The analysis of the results also approved that the natural processes andgeochemical variables （the changing meteorological parameters） can significantly affect the availability of heavy metals in nuisance dust particles in Western Iran.

Comprehensive evaluation of heavy metal contamination of sediment in Lake Dianchi by using modified AHP method and ^(137)Cs dating

Through the use of general sampling and measurement by ^(137)Cs dating,problems regarding the absence of monitoring data can easily be resolved.Further,weighted values need to be determined while Environment Quality Comprehensive Index(EQCI)is commonly used as applied in environmental quality comprehensive evaluation.In order to overcome the subjectivity in determining weights,the modified Analytical Hierarchy Process(AHP)method was designed.The modified AHP method involved the following key procedures:First,the parameters y_(i1) and y_(i2) were calculated based on the monitoring data;second,the factors were put in order according to the symbol and value of y_(i1) and y_(i2);third,the continuous odd integers,which represented the importance of factors,were given to factors according to their seating order;and,fourth,the factor weights were determined from the pair-wise comparison matrix calculated by the ratio of the given odd integers.Therefore,the weights were completely based on the monitoring data.In the present study,the comprehensive quality of sediments in five sections of Lake Dianchi were evaluated and the results indicated that the current contamination of sediments in each lake section is much more serious than at any other time in history.

Particle size distribution and characteristics of heavy metals in road-deposited sediments from Beijing Olympic Park

Due to rapid urbanization and industrialization, heavy metals in road-deposited sediments（RDSs） of parks are emitted into the terrestrial, atmospheric, and water environment, and have a severe impact on residents＇ and tourists＇ health. To identify the distribution and characteristic of heavy metals in RDS and to assess the road environmental quality in Chinese parks, samples were collected from Beijing Olympic Park in the present study. The results indicated that particles with small grain size（〈150 μm） were the dominant fraction. The length of dry period was one of the main factors affecting the particle size distribution, as indicated by the variation of size fraction with the increase of dry days. The amount of heavy metal（i.e., Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd） content was the largest in particles with small size（〈150 μm） among all samples. Specifically, the percentage of Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd in these particles was 74.7%, 55.5%, 56.6% and 71.3%, respectively.Heavy metals adsorbed in sediments may mainly be contributed by road traffic emissions. The contamination levels of Pb and Cd were higher than Cu and Zn on the basis of the mean heavy metal contents. Specifically, the geoaccumulation index（I geo） decreased in the order：Cd〉Pb〉Cu〉Zn. This study analyzed the mobility of heavy metals in sediments using partial sequential extraction with the Tessier procedure. The results revealed that the apparent mobility and potential metal bioavailability of heavy metals in the sediments, based on the exchangeable and carbonate fractions, decreased in the order： Cd〉Zn≈Pb〉Cu.

Heavy metal contamination in soils of greenhouse vegetable production systems in a cold region of China

Heavy metal(HM)contamination in soils of greenhouse vegetable production(GVP)systems has drawn increasing attention in terms of food safety.In the present study,64 surface soils were sampled,and the concentrations of select HMs were determined using atomic absorption spectroscopy.The results showed that the concentrations of cadmium(Cd),lead(Pb),zinc(Zn),copper(Cu),nickel(Ni)and chromium(Cr)in the soils were(0.2±0.2)mg/kg,(26.5±8.4)mg/kg,(101.4±43.2)mg/kg,(29.1±8.6)mg/kg,(24.5±3.3)mg/kg,and(56.5±6.3)mg/kg,and the corresponding accumulation index(AI)values were 2.30,1.10,1.43,1.45,1.07,and 0.97,respectively.The spatial distribution of the HMs suggested that Cd pollution displays a fractionation effect,which may be related to the source of Cd and its mobility.The concentration of Zn was significantly correlated with that of other HMs,implying that a comprehensive interactive effect might occur between Zn and other HMs.Furthermore,the values of the potential ecological risk index(RI)ranged from 41.23 to 185.91,meaning that attention should be paid to HM contamination of GVP soils to ensure food quality and safety.