| Autor: |
Al-Taani AA; 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., Nazzal Y; College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab Emirates., Howari FM; College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab Emirates., Iqbal J; College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab Emirates., Bou Orm N; College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab Emirates., Xavier CM; College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab Emirates., Bărbulescu A; Transilvania University of Brasov, 5 Turnului Str., 500036 Brasov, Romania., Sharma M; College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab Emirates., Dumitriu CS; S.C. Utilnavorep S.A., 55 Aurel Vlaicu Bd., 900055 Constanta, Romania. |
| Abstrakt: |
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 geo ), 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. |
