Umwelt- und analytische Toxikologie

Apportionment of Hazardous Elements in Agricultural Soils Around the Vicinity of Brick Kiln in Bangladesh

Abstract

Ram Proshad, Saad Ahmed, Mahfuzur Rahman and Tapan Kumar

Natural and anthropogenic factors affect soil pollution which significantly reduces environmental quality. In this study, six hazardous elements namely Chromium (Cr), Nickel (Ni), Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd) and Lead (Pb), in 12 different sampling sites around brick kiln vicinity from Bangladesh were assessed. The ranges of Cr, Ni, Cu, As, Cd and Pb in studied soils were 0.77–21.71, 4.74– 27.67, 3.08–38.56, 2.51–28.44, 1.03–8.06 and 2.23–18.31 mg/kg, respectively. Presence of these hazardous elements in soils is indicating a potential risk to the environment. Certain indices, including the enrichment factor (EF), pollution load index (PLI) and contamination factor (Ci f), geoaccumulation index (Igeo), toxic unit analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to assess the ecological risk posed by hazardous elements in soils. The Ci f values of As (15.34) and Cd (37.89) revealed that the examined soils were strongly impacted by As and Cd where Pollution load index in As (1.01) and Cd (2.61) indicating progressive deterioration of soil due to metal contamination. In view of the above results, soils from all sampling sites showed considerable to very high potential ecological risk.