Erratum to: Heavy Metal Built-Up in Agricultural Soils of Pakistan: Sources, Ecological Consequences, and Possible Remediation Measures

Brick kiln exhaust when deposited can hamper the nutritional status of the agricultural soils and crops. To study the impact, soil and associated plant samples were collected from the vicinity of a brick kiln cluster in Chattogram, Bangladesh. The soil contamination was evaluated by heavy metal indices. Agricultural soils close to the brick kiln area were very strongly acid to slightly acid. Organic carbon, total nitrogen and available phosphorus content of the agriculture soils near brick kiln cluster were 0.35% to 1.01%, 0.10 to 0.24% and 2.21 to 13.48 mg kg-1 respectively and the significant different mean value of 0.70%, 0.22% and 14.65 mg kg-1 respectively in the reference soil. The nutritional status of sampling sites was lower than the previously reported data. The nutrition status of the plants was at an optimum level as regular fertilizer application was practiced but showed an irregular pattern along with all the soil parameters and heavy metal indices. The contamination factor (Cd), potential ecological risk index (PER) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) demonstrated that the agricultural soils in the vicinity of the brick kiln cluster were moderately- to highly-polluted. This indicates the deterioration of soil quality by uncontrolled brick kiln operation.

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Arsenic and heavy metal concentrations in agricultural soils in South Savo province

Agricultural and Food Science ◽

10.23986/afsci.5731 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 285-300 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

V. MÄNTYLAHTI ◽

P. LAAKSO

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Heavy Metal ◽

Agricultural Soils ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Potential Hazard ◽

Metal Concentrations ◽

Limit Values ◽

Heavy Metal Concentrations ◽

Target Values

Increasing concentrations of arsenic and heavy metals in agricultural soils are becoming a growing problem in industrialized countries. These harmful elements represent the basis of a range of problems in the food chain, and are a potential hazard for animal and human health. It is therefore important to gauge their absolute and relative concentrations in soils that are used for crop production. In this study the arsenic and heavy metal concentrations in 274 mineral soil samples and 38 organogenic soil samples taken from South Savo province in 2000 were determined using the aqua regia extraction technique. The soil samples were collected from 23 farms.The elements analyzed were arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, mercury, nickel, lead and zinc. The median concentrations in the mineral soils were:As 2.90 mg kg 1, Cd 0.084 mg kg 1, Cr 17.0 mg kg 1, Cu 13.0 mg kg 1, Hg 0.060 mg kg 1, Ni 5.4 mg kg 1, Pb 7.7 mg kg 1, Zn 36.5 mg kg 1. The corresponding values in the organogenic soils were:As 2.80 mg kg 1, Cd 0.265 mg kg 1, Cr 15.0 mg kg 1, Cu 29.0 mg kg 1, Hg 0.200 mg kg 1, Ni 5.9 mg kg 1, Pb 11.0 mg kg 1, Zn 25.5 mg kg 1. The results indicated that cadmium and mercury concentrations in the mineral and organogenic soils differed. Some of the arsenic, cadmium and mercury concentrations exceeded the normative values but did not exceed limit values. Most of the agricultural fields in South Savo province contained only small amounts of arsenic and heavy metals and could be classified as Clean Soil. A draft for the target values of arsenic and heavy metal concentrations in Clean Soil is presented.;

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