Assessment of Heavy Metal Contamination in Urban Soils of selected areas in Hilla City, Babylon, Iraq

Abstract

       Modern cities suffer from heavy metal pollution due to urban expansion and population increase. Heavy metals have a great impact on human health. The objective is to determine the contamination level of heavy metals Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Zr and Pb at industrial and residential in Hilla city. The mean concentration of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Zr and Pb enrichment factors of the investigated industrial soils are 3.43, 0.74, 6.45, 3.95, 5.60, 3.44, 1.17 and 11.44, respectively. The means of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Zr and Pb in residential soils are 3.30, 1.09, 11.40, 0.94, 2.08, 5.39, 0.9 and 3.6, respectively. The I-geo mean values of heavy elements in the industrial area may be ordered in the following: Mn> Pb> Ni> Zn> Cu> As> Cr> Zr. While in the residential area ordered Mn> Ni> As>Cr> Pb> Zn> Cu > Zr. Integrated Pollution Load Index categories results showed high contamination in industrial and residential areas. The main sources of heavy elements pollution in the study area  has been regarded as anthropogenic sources.