Determination of Heavy Metals (Cadmium and Lead)
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Original Article Determination of heavy metals (cadmium and lead) concentrations, pH, and electrical conductivity in agricultural soils of Khatam city and zoning using the GIS software Saeed Jafari Sadrabad 1, Mahmood Alimohammadi 2-4, Mohammad Hadi Dehghani 5, 6, Kamyar Yaghmaeian 5, 7*, Hasan Rasoulzadeh 8, 9, Abbas Jafari 10 1 Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 2 Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 6445-14155, Iran. 3 Center for Water Quality Research (CWQR), Institute for Environmental Research (IER), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 6445-14155, Iran. 4 Health Equity Research Center (HERC), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 6445-14155, Iran. 5 Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 6 Institute for Environmental Research, Center for Solid Waste Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 7 Center for Solid Waste Research, Institute for Environmental Research, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. 8 Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Student Research Committee. 9 Faculty of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshty University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, 10 Iran. International campus, Shahid Sadoughi University of medical sciences, Yazd, Iran. Abstract Introduction: Improper use of chemical fertilizers, in particular phosphate fertilizers, increases soil concentrations of heavy metals such as lead and cadmium. Due to the environmental hazards of these metals, it is essential to continuously monitor the concentrations of these metals in soil. The aim of this study was to determine cadmium and lead concentrations, pH, and electrical conductivity (EC) in agricultural soils of Khatam city and zoning using the GIS software. Materials and Methods: The present descriptive-analytical study was carried out in Khatam city during 2018. Metal concentrations, pH, and EC were measured using an atomic absorption device, a pH meter (model MI150), and a Lutron conductivity meter (model CD -4306), respectively. Descriptive statistical analysis and zoning were done using SPSS software version 16 and ArcGIS software. Findings: Mean concentrations of lead and cadmium in soil were determined as 14.83 ppb and 0.175 ppb, respectively (Table 1). Based on the measurements, pH values in soil samples were in acidic to slightly alkaline range (5-8.3). Similar to pH values, EC ranged from 0.71 to 1.12 µSiemens. Conclusion: According to the results, the measured lead and cadmium concentrations in Khatam city are much lower than the standard provided by the World Health Organization (WHO), which poses no health problems in terms of crop consumption by the consumers in this region. Keywords: Lead, cadmium, soil, electrical conductivity due to the soil structure, it ultimately increases the concentrations of these soil elements [3]. Agricultural INTRODUCTION Soil is one of most important and valuable natural resources. Address for correspondence: Kamyar Yaghmaeian, Without a safe soil, life will not be possible on earth. More Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of than 95% of human food is obtained from the earth. Human Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, survival is guaranteed by planning to have a healthy and Iran. productive soil. The entry of materials, biological organisms or energy into the soil changes its quality, leading to altered This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License, which allows others to remix, soil natural state. The growing population and increased tweak, and build upon the work noncommercially, as long as the author is credited demand for food have led to the increasing use of chemical and the new creations are licensed under the identical terms. fertilizers to multiply crop yields [1]. Different routes of heavy metal entry to the soil include unprincipled and unsanitary How to cite this article: Jafari Sadrabad, S., Alimohammadi, M., Dehghani, M. H., Yaghmaeian, K., Rasoulzadeh, H., Jafari, A. disposal of municipal, industrial, and agricultural wastes, Determination of heavy metals (cadmium and lead) concentrations, pollutants emitted from industries and vehicles, mining pH, and electrical conductivity in agricultural soils of Khatam city activities, and agricultural practices, eventually leading to the and zoning using the GIS software. Arch Pharma Pract environmental accumulation of these elements, particularly in 2020;11(S1):190-9. the soil [2]. Since the movement process in the soil is very slow © 2020 Archives of Pharmacy Practice 1 190 Jafari Sadrabad et al.: Determination of heavy metals (cadmium and lead) concentrations, pH, and electrical conductivity in agricultural soils of Khatam city and zoning using the GIS software contaminants include a wide range of organic matter, animal ArcGIS is a very convenient software for GIS applications, waste, and byproducts. To prevent soil contamination, which allows the use of spatial information and descriptive compensatory measures can be taken to strengthen and data for the creation of maps, tables, and charts [14]. It is regenerate contaminated soils, in addition to using manures important to be aware of critical concentrations of these instead of chemical fertilizers to ensure that crops can be metals and effects of their contaminations in soil. However, consumed without any problem. Chemical fertilizers (e.g. accurate figures have not been reported in these cases due to phosphate fertilizer) contain some amounts of cadmium and the variable nature of these elements in soil and complex soil lead, which, in case of incorrect consumption, some of the properties. The amount of heavy element accumulations can above toxins may be absorbed by plants and enter the human determine their toxicity levels to living organisms. This body, causing long-term disease. The use of chemical study, therefor, aimed to determine Cd and Pb concentrations, fertilizers is the most common cause of heavy metal pH, and electrical conductivity in agricultural soils of Khatam accumulations in the soil. Important heavy metals in chemical city, and to make the zoning of obtained data using the fertilizers include arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), ArcGIS software. nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), among others [4]. Besides accumulation in the soil, excessive use of fertilizers MATERIALS AND METHODS containing these elements results in their entry into the food In this descriptive-analytical research, the study area was chain through plant absorption, causing adverse health effects divided into zones of 4 km and sampling was performed on consumers [5]. Long-term use of phosphate fertilizers randomly in each zone. A sample of 1 kg was selected from increases heavy metal concentrations in soil [6]. pooled samples [15, 16]. Samples were dried at 103-105 °C and Mohammadikia et al. performed different observations in then passed through a 2-mm sieve. Values of pH and various places and reported that elements such as Cd and Pb electrical conductivity were respectively measured using a were present up to concentrations of over 1 and 3 g per pH meter (MI150, Milwaukee Martini Co., Italy) with 0.01 hectare [7]. Various factors such as soil type, particle size, accuracy, and a Lutron conductivity meter (CD-4306) (10 mg granulation, regional soil life, and levels of exposure to heavy of soil per 50 ml of distilled water after mixing for 2 h) [17]. metals affect heavy metal concentrations in soil [6]. Cd and Pb Cd and Pb concentrations were determined through atomic are the two heavy metals with relatively higher absorption spectroscopy (AAS) model AA-6200 based on the concentrations than those of other heavy metals [8]. Cd is following instructions [18, 19]. known as a contaminant in phosphate fertilizers. A high mobility of Cd in the soil-plant system allows it to be easily Measurements of heavy metals absorbed in large quantities by the plant grown in that soil. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) is an element Then, it directly or indirectly disrupts physiological processes analysis method that provides quantitative (numerical) such as respiration, photosynthesis, transpiration, plant-water information for more than 50 different elements. This system relationships, mineral nutrition, and nitrogen and is able to determine very low concentrations (in ppb) for some carbohydrates metabolism. These will lead to poor plant elements and can also measure the concentrations (in ppm) of growth, reduced yields, and entry into food cycle, ultimately many elements. This method has many advantages, for reaching the final human consumer [9]. Pb with a density of example, it can measure total concentration of elements 11.34 g/cm3 at room temperature is found in phosphate regardless of shapes. Additionally, each element is measured fertilizers. Upon contact with humans, the metal can damage at a wavelength specific to that element, hence eliminating nerve connections, particularly in children, causing brain and possible errors or interference from other elements. It is also blood diseases [9]. Thus far, there have been reports of an easy and rapid technique. AAS works based on the concentrations of these metals around the world, particularly absorption of discrete light wavelengths