TITLE:
The Comparison of Three Environmental Metrics for Cr, Pb, and Zn in the Agricultural Region of the Mid-Continent of USA
AUTHORS:
Almesleh A. A. Najwah, Goodell Philip
KEYWORDS:
Chemical Elements, Enrichment Factor, Geo Accumulation, Potential Ecological Risk, Geochemical Maps
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.9 No.4,
April
26,
2021
ABSTRACT: The
chemical and physical properties of soil are critical factors that affect human
health. The current geochemical study is designed to evaluate the
concentrations of heavy metals (Cr, Pb, and Zn) in the soil in Iowa (IA),
Kansas (KS), and Nebraska (NE). The basic descriptive statistical results
suggest that there are some limited levels of the heavy metals in the soils
that come from anthropogenic inputs. The results of three environmental
metrics, the enrichment factor (EF), geoaccumulation (Igeo), and potential
ecological risk (PERI), have been calculated, evaluated, and compared. EF
values show that soils contain minimal enrichment of Cr, Pb, and Zn in the
study area. In addition, PERI values presented low risk with Cr, Pb, and Zn.
However, Igeo values showed no contamination
of Cr, Pb, and Zn in the study area. These results suggest that the elevated
levels of these heavy metals are dominated by the historic agricultural inputs
derived from long-term anthropogenic applications, especially in the regions
with extensive human activities, which means that soil is the sink for heavy
metals released into the environment.