Contamination Assessment of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soil, in the Liwa Area (UAE)
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,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Toxics |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/9/3/53 |
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| author | Ahmed A. Al-Taani Yousef Nazzal Fares M. Howari Jibran Iqbal Nadine Bou Orm Cijo Madathil Xavier Alina Bărbulescu Manish Sharma Cristian-Stefan Dumitriu |
| author_facet | Ahmed A. Al-Taani Yousef Nazzal Fares M. Howari Jibran Iqbal Nadine Bou Orm Cijo Madathil Xavier Alina Bărbulescu Manish Sharma Cristian-Stefan Dumitriu |
| author_sort | Ahmed A. Al-Taani |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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<sub>geo</sub>), 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:23:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-decc447604364100bdd9d331442a7231 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2305-6304 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:23:40Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Toxics |
| spelling | doaj.art-decc447604364100bdd9d331442a72312023-11-21T09:51:54ZengMDPI AGToxics2305-63042021-03-01935310.3390/toxics9030053Contamination Assessment of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soil, in the Liwa Area (UAE)Ahmed A. Al-Taani0Yousef Nazzal1Fares M. Howari2Jibran Iqbal3Nadine Bou Orm4Cijo Madathil Xavier5Alina Bărbulescu6Manish Sharma7Cristian-Stefan Dumitriu8College of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab EmiratesCollege of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab EmiratesCollege of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab EmiratesCollege of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab EmiratesCollege of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab EmiratesCollege of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab EmiratesTransilvania University of Brasov, 5 Turnului Str., 500036 Brasov, RomaniaCollege of Natural and Health Sciences, Zayed University, Abu Dhabi 144534, United Arab EmiratesS.C. Utilnavorep S.A., 55 Aurel Vlaicu Bd., 900055 Constanta, RomaniaThe 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<sub>geo</sub>), 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.https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/9/3/53soilagriculturepollution indicesheavy metalsecological risk assessmentLiwa |
| spellingShingle | Ahmed A. Al-Taani Yousef Nazzal Fares M. Howari Jibran Iqbal Nadine Bou Orm Cijo Madathil Xavier Alina Bărbulescu Manish Sharma Cristian-Stefan Dumitriu Contamination Assessment of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soil, in the Liwa Area (UAE) Toxics soil agriculture pollution indices heavy metals ecological risk assessment Liwa |
| title | Contamination Assessment of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soil, in the Liwa Area (UAE) |
| title_full | Contamination Assessment of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soil, in the Liwa Area (UAE) |
| title_fullStr | Contamination Assessment of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soil, in the Liwa Area (UAE) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contamination Assessment of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soil, in the Liwa Area (UAE) |
| title_short | Contamination Assessment of Heavy Metals in Agricultural Soil, in the Liwa Area (UAE) |
| title_sort | contamination assessment of heavy metals in agricultural soil in the liwa area uae |
| topic | soil agriculture pollution indices heavy metals ecological risk assessment Liwa |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6304/9/3/53 |
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