Spatial variability and ecological risk assessment of heavy metal contamination in southeastern Iran

Assessing heavy metal risk in various regions is essential for protecting public health and preserving environmental quality and sustainable development. This study focused on the heavy metal (HMs) contents of seven major metals, including lead (Pb), zinc(Zn), cadmium(Cd), iron(Fe), manganese(Mn), arsenic (As), and copper (Cu), in Jiroft city, southeastern Iran, regarding its spatial distribution and contamination levels. The Diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid method was applied for the determination of heavy metals concentrations after the collection of surface soil samples. Inverse distance weighting was performed for mapping the spatial distribution. Potential ecological risk index and principal component analysis were carried out to identify the risk level and the primary source of heavy metals, respectively. Mean concentrations of all these heavy metals (HMs) were higher compared to their mean crustal values. Zinc and manganese were considered the major pollutants due to high enrichment factor and pollution index. More than ۴۵% of the soil samples presented noticeable ecological risk according to the calculated PERI values, which ranged between ۸۰ and ۱۶۰. The highest value corresponded to cadmium (Ei = ۱۰۳.۹). Principal component analysis suggested that anthropogenic and natural factors were responsible for heavy metal accumulation in soil. These results show the urgent need for an intervention targeted at soil pollution to protect the environment and public health in Jiroft city.

کلیدواژه ها:

Soil contamination ، enrichment factor ، potential ecological risk ، pollution source ، soil degradation