Kamel Khalil * (1) Maher Dais (2) and Ahmad soliman (1)
(1). Department of Environmental Prevention, Higher Institute for Environmental Research, Tishreen University, Lattakia, Syria.
(2). The General Authority for Scientific Agricultural Research, Lattakia, Syria.
(*Corresponding author: Kamel Khalil, Email: d.kamelkhalil@tishreen.edu.sy).
Received: 18/04/2023 Accepted: 24/05/2023
Abstract:
This study aimed to evaluate the levels of soil pollution by the use of some single pollution indexes such as (the Geoaccumulation index Igeo, and Pollution Index PIi) in addition of some integrated pollution indexes, such as (Average Pollution Index Plave and Nemerow pollution index INPI) in soils of Jableh city. Samples taken from two depths (0-20 cm) and (20-40 cm) for five sites (S1 to S5) during the spring (Corona prohibition period) and autumn season of 2020. The concentrations of the metal were determined: lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). The results showed that the overall mean values of element concentrations ranged as follows: [Zn (71.16)> Pb(38.28) > Cu(25.13) > Cd1.81 ppm)] for both seasons (spring and autumn). In general, values of metals were higher in the autumn season compared to the spring season (the prohibition period of the Corona pandemic), especially in the surface depths. The results were shown by calculating the overall mean of the individual pollution index PIi values for each element and defining the pollution Class: copper (0.42) non-polluted, zinc (1.02) lightly polluted, lead (2.73) moderately polluted, and cadmium (12.08) severely polluted. The Igeo values for each element and the defined pollution Class: copper (-1.86) uncontaminated, zinc (-0.060) non-polluted, lead (0.82) non-polluted to medium pollution, cadmium (2.85) moderate to severely polluted. Plave values was (4.06) this means that the city soils were Highly polluted and the value of the INPI was (9.014), meaning that the soil of Jableh city is highly polluted. In summary, we conclude that the soils of the city of Jableh are moderate polluted with lead and severely polluted with cadmium, and in general, the soils classified as highly polluted.
Keywords: Heavy metals – Indexes of soil pollution – city (Syria).
Full paper in Arabic: pdf