Heavy metal minerals polluting soil and groundwater is becoming a major environmental issue because these components are not biodegradable and last a long time. This study examines the degree to which heavy metals, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), and chromium (Cr), affect the chemical and physical characteristics of soil and groundwater in regions impacted by industrial, agricultural, and mining operations. Soil and water samples were obtained from several locations with established exposure to heavy metal sources and were subsequently analysed by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results show that there are too many heavy metals in the soil, which is bad for soil fertility, microbial activity, and the safety of drinking water. The research additionally examines the mobility, bioavailability, and leaching characteristics of these pollutants across different soil types. The findings underscore the immediate necessity for remediation measures and more stringent environmental restrictions to alleviate the enduring ecological and human health consequences. This study enhances the comprehension of pollution pathways and facilitates the formulation of sustainable land and water management methods.

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1. Bishnu Angon P, Shafiul Islam M, KC S, Das A et al. Sources, impacts, and current viewpoints on heavy metal contamination: Soil, flora, and the human food chain. Twenty twenty-four. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

2. Adnan M, Xiao B, Xiao P, Zhao P, and others. Research Advancements on Heavy Metal Contamination in the Soil at Smelting Locations in China. 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

3. Nontobeko Gloria Maphuhla, Adebola Omowunmi Oyedeji, Francis Lewu, and Opeoluwa Oyedeji Determined the physicochemical parameters and metal levels in soil, water, and plants from the Alice dump site. 2017. DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-20283-5_15 In book: Chemistry for a Clean and Healthy Planet (pp.247-267)

4. Zhang S, Wang T, Wang H, Kang Q, and others Identifying the sources, spatial pattern, and risk of heavy metals in a typical soda soil from Bayannur, Northwestern China. 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

5. 5. Akimbekov, N. S., Yernazarova, A. K., Tastambek, K. T., Abdieva, G. Z., Ualieva, P. S., Kaiyrmanova, G. K., … Zhubanova, A. A. (2017). Microbial Load as an Ecotoxicological Indicator of Heavy Metal Contamination in Soil Samples from the Kazakhstan Sector of the Caspian Sea.The Eurasian Chemico-Technological Journal, 19(4), 335–340. https://doi.org/10.18321/ectj681

6. Gabriella MG. The impact of heavy metal pollution on brown forest soil. 2005. Acta Biologica Szegediensis 49(1):71-72

7. Sobolev D, F. T. Begonia M. Effects of Heavy Metal Contamination on Soil Microbes: Lead-induced Alterations in General and Denitrifying Microbial Communities as Demonstrated by Molecular Markers. 2008. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

8. Wen X, J(吕剑) L, Wu J. How salinisation of coastal groundwater affects the spread and dangers of heavy metals. 2019. Science of The Total Environment Volume 652, 20 February 2019, Pages 267-277 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.250

9. Owusu Sekyere A, Essandoh H, Dotse Wemegah D, Otoo Amponsah L. Assessing Groundwater Quality in Ghana's Asante Akyem Central District. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

10. Brindha K, Paul R, Walter J, Leong Tan M, and others. A thorough evaluation of trace metals pollution in groundwater and its effects on human health utilising hydrogeochemical and geostatistical techniques. 2020. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

11. 11. Wang H, Nie L, Xu Y, Du C, and others. The impact of highway-related pollutants on the groundwater quality of turfy swamps in the Changbai Mountain region. 2018. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

12. Kamunda C, Mathuthu M, Madhuku M. Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soils from Witwatersrand Gold Mining Basin, South Africa. Two thousand sixteen. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

13. Chen Z, Xu J, Duan R, Lu S, and others. Ecological Health Risk Assessment and Source Identification of Heavy Metals in Surface Soil with a High Geochemical Background: A Case Study in Southwest China. 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

14. Aendo P, Netvichian R, Thiendedsakul P, Khaodhiar S, et al. The carcinogenic risk of Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cr, along with the critical ecological risk of Cd and Cu, in the soil and groundwater surrounding the Municipal Solid Waste Open Dump in Central Thailand. Twenty-two. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

15. Han L, Fan Y, Chen R, Zhai Y, et al. A Case Study in Southern Shaanxi, China: Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Mining Soils Based on Fractions. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

16. Akoto O, Yakubu S, A. Ofori L, Bortey-sam N, and others. Multivariate research and heavy metal contamination in soil from gold mining regions. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

17. M. Nahlik A, A. Blocksom K, T. Herlihy A, E. Kentula M, et al. Utilisation of national-scale data to investigate anthropogenic contributions of heavy metals to the wetland soils of the United States. 2019. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

18. Sánchez-Castro I, Molina L, Prieto-Fernández M, Segura A. Past, present, and future trends in the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil: Techniques employed in actual soil contamination incidents. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

19. Chang L. Phytoremediation is a method for controlling heavy metal contamination in China. In 2017. knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca

20. Maria Raffa C, Chiampo F, and Shanthakumar S. A Short Review on How to Clean Up Metal and Metalloid-Polluted Soils. 2021. Applied Sciences (IF 2.5 Submission Guide >) Pub Date: 2021-04-30, DOI:10.3390/app11094134

21. Kapahi M. and Sachdeva S. wrote a book about bioremediation options for heavy metal pollution. 2019. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

22. El Fadili H, Ben Ali M, Naimur Rahman M, El Mahi M, et al. Bioavailability and health risks of contaminants surrounding a regulated landfill in Morocco: The synergistic impacts of landfilling and intensive agriculture. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

23. Zhao Y, Yan H, Wang F. The distribution, source, and ecological risk of heavy metals in sewage irrigation in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China. 2024. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

24. E.N. O, Onwa NC. Effects of Prolonged Use of Agrochemicals on the Agro-Ecology of the Lower Anambra River Basin in Southeast Nigeria. 2013. ISSN 2224-3216 for the paper version and ISSN 2225-0948 for the online version of the Journal of Environment and Earth Science. 3, No. 5, 2013

Heavy metal minerals polluting soil and groundwater is becoming a major environmental issue because these components are not biodegradable and last a long time. This study examines the degree to which heavy metals, including lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), mercury (Hg), and chromium (Cr), affect the chemical and physical characteristics of soil and groundwater in regions impacted by industrial, agricultural, and mining operations. Soil and water samples were obtained from several locations with established exposure to heavy metal sources and were subsequently analysed by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results show that there are too many heavy metals in the soil, which is bad for soil fertility, microbial activity, and the safety of drinking water. The research additionally examines the mobility, bioavailability, and leaching characteristics of these pollutants across different soil types. The findings underscore the immediate necessity for remediation measures and more stringent environmental restrictions to alleviate the enduring ecological and human health consequences. This study enhances the comprehension of pollution pathways and facilitates the formulation of sustainable land and water management methods.

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Bishnu Angon P, Shafiul Islam M, KC S, Das A et al. Sources, impacts, and current viewpoints on heavy metal contamination: Soil, flora, and the human food chain. Twenty twenty-four. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

2. Adnan M, Xiao B, Xiao P, Zhao P, and others. Research Advancements on Heavy Metal Contamination in the Soil at Smelting Locations in China. 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

3. Nontobeko Gloria Maphuhla, Adebola Omowunmi Oyedeji, Francis Lewu, and Opeoluwa Oyedeji Determined the physicochemical parameters and metal levels in soil, water, and plants from the Alice dump site. 2017. DOI:10.1007/978-3-030-20283-5_15 In book: Chemistry for a Clean and Healthy Planet (pp.247-267)

4. Zhang S, Wang T, Wang H, Kang Q, and others Identifying the sources, spatial pattern, and risk of heavy metals in a typical soda soil from Bayannur, Northwestern China. 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

5. 5. Akimbekov, N. S., Yernazarova, A. K., Tastambek, K. T., Abdieva, G. Z., Ualieva, P. S., Kaiyrmanova, G. K., … Zhubanova, A. A. (2017). Microbial Load as an Ecotoxicological Indicator of Heavy Metal Contamination in Soil Samples from the Kazakhstan Sector of the Caspian Sea.The Eurasian Chemico-Technological Journal, 19(4), 335–340. https://doi.org/10.18321/ectj681

6. Gabriella MG. The impact of heavy metal pollution on brown forest soil. 2005. Acta Biologica Szegediensis 49(1):71-72

7. Sobolev D, F. T. Begonia M. Effects of Heavy Metal Contamination on Soil Microbes: Lead-induced Alterations in General and Denitrifying Microbial Communities as Demonstrated by Molecular Markers. 2008. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

8. Wen X, J(吕剑) L, Wu J. How salinisation of coastal groundwater affects the spread and dangers of heavy metals. 2019. Science of The Total Environment Volume 652, 20 February 2019, Pages 267-277 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.250

9. Owusu Sekyere A, Essandoh H, Dotse Wemegah D, Otoo Amponsah L. Assessing Groundwater Quality in Ghana's Asante Akyem Central District. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

10. Brindha K, Paul R, Walter J, Leong Tan M, and others. A thorough evaluation of trace metals pollution in groundwater and its effects on human health utilising hydrogeochemical and geostatistical techniques. 2020. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

11. 11. Wang H, Nie L, Xu Y, Du C, and others. The impact of highway-related pollutants on the groundwater quality of turfy swamps in the Changbai Mountain region. 2018. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

12. Kamunda C, Mathuthu M, Madhuku M. Health Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Soils from Witwatersrand Gold Mining Basin, South Africa. Two thousand sixteen. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

13. Chen Z, Xu J, Duan R, Lu S, and others. Ecological Health Risk Assessment and Source Identification of Heavy Metals in Surface Soil with a High Geochemical Background: A Case Study in Southwest China. 2022. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

14. Aendo P, Netvichian R, Thiendedsakul P, Khaodhiar S, et al. The carcinogenic risk of Pb, Cd, Ni, and Cr, along with the critical ecological risk of Cd and Cu, in the soil and groundwater surrounding the Municipal Solid Waste Open Dump in Central Thailand. Twenty-two. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

15. Han L, Fan Y, Chen R, Zhai Y, et al. A Case Study in Southern Shaanxi, China: Probabilistic Risk Assessment of Heavy Metals in Mining Soils Based on Fractions. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

16. Akoto O, Yakubu S, A. Ofori L, Bortey-sam N, and others. Multivariate research and heavy metal contamination in soil from gold mining regions. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

17. M. Nahlik A, A. Blocksom K, T. Herlihy A, E. Kentula M, et al. Utilisation of national-scale data to investigate anthropogenic contributions of heavy metals to the wetland soils of the United States. 2019. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

18. Sánchez-Castro I, Molina L, Prieto-Fernández M, Segura A. Past, present, and future trends in the remediation of heavy metal-contaminated soil: Techniques employed in actual soil contamination incidents. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

19. Chang L. Phytoremediation is a method for controlling heavy metal contamination in China. In 2017. knowledgecommons.lakeheadu.ca

20. Maria Raffa C, Chiampo F, and Shanthakumar S. A Short Review on How to Clean Up Metal and Metalloid-Polluted Soils. 2021. Applied Sciences (IF 2.5 Submission Guide >) Pub Date: 2021-04-30, DOI:10.3390/app11094134

21. Kapahi M. and Sachdeva S. wrote a book about bioremediation options for heavy metal pollution. 2019. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

22. El Fadili H, Ben Ali M, Naimur Rahman M, El Mahi M, et al. Bioavailability and health risks of contaminants surrounding a regulated landfill in Morocco: The synergistic impacts of landfilling and intensive agriculture. 2023. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

23. Zhao Y, Yan H, Wang F. The distribution, source, and ecological risk of heavy metals in sewage irrigation in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, China. 2024. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

24. E.N. O, Onwa NC. Effects of Prolonged Use of Agrochemicals on the Agro-Ecology of the Lower Anambra River Basin in Southeast Nigeria. 2013. ISSN 2224-3216 for the paper version and ISSN 2225-0948 for the online version of the Journal of Environment and Earth Science. 3, No. 5, 2013