Quantification of the Heavy Metals in the Agricultural Soils of Mardan District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
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J. Glob. Innov. Agric. Soc. Sci., 2014, 2(4): 158-162. ISSN (Online): 2311-3839; ISSN (Print): 2312-5225 DOI: 10.17957/JGIASS/2.4.460 http://www.jgiass.com QUANTIFICATION OF THE HEAVY METALS IN THE AGRICULTURAL SOILS OF MARDAN DISTRICT, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN Nida Gul1,*, Mohammad Tahir Shah1, Sardar Khan2 and Said Muhammad3 1 National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of Peshawar, Pakistan 2Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Peshawar, Pakistan 3Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, COMSATS, Abottabad, Pakistan * Corresponding author’s e-mail: [email protected] Soil samples were collected from Mardan district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan and were analyzed for physico-chemical parameters (pH, EC, SOM), major cations (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn) and heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr, Cd, As) concentrations using atomic absorption spectrometer. Based on concentration values, the major cations was found in order of Na> Ca >Fe> K > Mg >Mn. Increasing order of the heavy metal concentrations were as Zn > Cr > Ni > Cu >Pb> As > Cd. The enhanced values of heavy metals in the studied soils could be due to sulfide and mafic minerals in the soils of the study area. Metal concentrations were used to quantify pollution contamination factors (CFs) and pollution load index (PLI). It can be concluded from this classification that soils of the study area are polluted with some of the heavy metals. Keywords: major cations, heavy metals, contamination factor, pollution load index INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS Soil is an important part of the nature. The presence of Study Area Profile: Mardan district is among the major major cations and heavy metals, soil organic matter (SOM), districts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan. It air, moist and biological species result in complex is located about 14km northeast of Peshawar, Khyber phenomena. All the important biochemical cycles operate in Pakhtunkhwa. Mardan district can be divided into two parts, its upper most layers, where solar energy trapped in the northern hilly area and southwestern plain area, which is biomass is converted to organics on decomposition best known for agriculture. The major crops grown in the (Mckenzie and Susan, 2004). Soil also plays a significant district are wheat, sugar cane, tobacco, maize, rice, rape role in waste disposal and recycling of different nutrients seed and mustered (DCR, 1998).The important fruits grown and pollutants among different mediums and human’s food in the district are orange, plum, peach, apricot, pear, lechi, chain (Chen et al. 1997; Folinsbee, 1993). rare mango and apple. The main source of irrigational water The presence and nature of various elements and soil quality is the canals. The upper Swat canal irrigates most part of the mainly depends on the chemical composition of the parent district and lower Swat canal irrigates south-western part of rock, physical conditions and organic content of soil the district. The other sources are tube wells and lift (Drewery and Paton, 2005; Reynold et al. 2007; Shukla et irrigation (DCR, 1998). al. 2006). However, anthropogenic inputs from industries and agricultural products have become the predominant Soil Sampling and Analysis: Soil samples were collected sources of heavy metals (Heavy metals) in the soils (Wild, randomly from different agricultural fields of the Mardan 1996; Mico´ et al. 2006). district. Each sample of about 1kg was taken up to a depth Interaction between natural and anthropogenic sources has of 30 cm by an auger and stored in polyethylene bag. All the made source identification more difficult and ambiguous soil samples were properly labeled in the field and the (Facchinelli et al. 2001). These elevated concentrations of coordinates of each sample were recorded. These samples heavy metals may results in phytotoxicity and food chain were transferred to the Geochemistry laboratory of the disruption on one hand and can hindered the availability of National Centre of Excellence in Geology, University of essential nutrients on the other hand (Wang et al. 2006; Peshawar for experimental work. Soil samples, collected Alam et al. 2001; Michaud et al. 2008; Khan et al. 2008). Present study was based on the hypothesis that the geogenic during field, were air dried and were pulverized to 200 as well as anthropogenic inputs could enhance the levels of mesh. These soil samples were than dried overnight at 110 different major cations and heavy metals in the soils of ˚C in the oven.For measuring physical parameters, each soil Mardan district. Therefore the study was aimed; 1) to sample was mixed with deionized water in a ratio of 1:4 measure the level of different major cations and heavy (w/v) (Das and Maiti, 2008). The electric conductivity (EC) metals to quantify pollution 2) to apply different statistical and pH were determined by conductivity meter and pH techniques to identify the possible sources and grouping of meter respectively. The soil organic matter (SOM) was heavy metals. determined by the method of Konnen et al. (2002). 158 Gul, Shah, Khan & Muhammad Table 1: Physio-chemical parameters of the soils of Mardan Pollution load index (PLI) district Pollution load index was measured by the following a Parameter Range Mean ±Std dev equation of Usero et al. pH 5.9-8.1 7.6 ±0.4 (2000); ECb (µScm-1) 209-510 287±64 SOMc (%) 0.50-6.00 2.26 ±1 PLI = (CF1× CF2× CF3×……….CFn) 1/n a Standard deviation; bElectrical conductivity; cSoil organic matter th Table 2: Major cations and heavy metals concentrations in the Value of PLI being as a n root of the product of nCF. The soils of Mardan district results were compared with that reported by Rashed (2010). Element Range Mean ±Std dev Bohn,s limit CFa Statistical Analysis: The statistical parameters such as Major Cations ( gkg-1) range, mean and standard deviation were determined by Ca 9-140 61.1±46 25 3.4 using Excel 2007. Statistical analysis like interelemental Mg 0.8 – 14.5 9.8±5 15 5.3 correlation and factor analysis (FA) and cluster analysis Na 59-115 98 ±12 15 8.8 (CA) were carried out, using SPSS version 17. K 9.8-34 26 ±7 15 2.1 Fe 11.6-35 25 ±7 57.7 0.6 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Mn 0.5-11 1.4 ±2 1 1.8 Heavy Metals ( mgkg-1) Cu 12-45 28 ±7 20 1.4 Physico-chemical Parameters Concentrations in Soil Pb 4-56 27 ±8 10 2.7 Samples: Table 1 summarizes the pH, EC and SOM values Zn 4-275 96 ±54 50 1.9 in the soils samples. Mean values of pH, EC and SOM were Ni 20-81 49 ±15 40 1.2 found as 7.6, 287 µScm-1 and 2.3% respectively. Low pH Cr 25-84 60 ±14 20 3.0 values in some samples could be due to the presence of Cd 0.15-3.06 2.33 ±0.5 0.06 38.8 sulfide bearing phases, especially pyrite while the high As 1.55-26.13 5.14 ±4 10 0.5 values could be attributed to the presence of calcite and PLIb 2.3 a b dolomite in the studied soils as these minerals are Contamination Factor; Pollution Load Index abundantly present in the sedimentary and mafic-ultramafic For the determination of major cations (Ca, Mg, Na and K) rocks exposed in the catchment areas from where the soils and heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr and Cd) 1 g of are eroded out (Hussain et al., 1984; Pouge and Hussain, each soil sample was taken in separate Typhlon beaker and 1986; Rafiq and Jan, 1989). Relatively high EC in the soil was digested according to procedure adopted by Gupta et al. samples could be due to the saline nature of the soils of (1996). In these solutions major cations (Ca, Mg, Na and K) Mardan district. The mean values of EC and SOM were and heavy metals (Fe, Mn, Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Cr and Cd) were however, found lower than the contaminated soils of determined using Perkin Elmer 700 atomic absorption northern parts of Pakistan (Muhammad et al. 2011). spectrometer under the standardized instrumental conditions. The reference standards, G2, AGVI and W-2 Major Cations and Heavy Metals: Descriptive summary of were used for calculating the precision. 95% confidence major cations and heavy metals is given in Table 2. Mean concentrations of the Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, Mn were 61.1gkg- level was attained for the analysis. 1 1 1 1 1 1 For the determination of arsenic (As), 5g of soil sample was , 9.8 gkg- , 98 gkg- , 26 gkg- , 25 gkg- and 1.4 gkg- digested in an acid mixture prepared according to procedure respectively. Major cations concentrations were found in the adopted by Abollino et al. (2002). The concentration of As order of Na > Ca >K> Fe > Mg >Mn. These elements were was determined by using mercury hydride system (MHS) found higher as compared to the normal agricultural soils fitted with Perkin Elmer 700 atomic absorption spectrometer reported by Bohn et al. (2001). Elevated level of Ca and Mg under the standardized instrumental conditions. may be due to the weathering of limestone and dolomite, and the addition of phosphate fertilizers. Higher values of Quantification of Soil Pollution Na content could be due to high concentrations of salts that Contamination factor (CF): For heavy metals, CF values have been built up in the soils due to high rate of were determined through following equation; evaporation of water contributed by the Swat River through irrigational means. The water logging and salinity remained CF = [C] heavy metal / [C] background the problem for long time in the area which has greatly affected the agricultural soils of the area.