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Abstract
In the present study, soil contamination by arsenic, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, copper, iron, lead, manganese, nickel, uranium and zinc; and associated human health risks were assessed at 30 agricultural sites in Ferozepur District, Punjab. Above 90% soil samples had high content of chloride, sodium and potassium. Cadmium, arsenic, zinc and lead in 100%, 76.67%, 76.67% and 66.67% samples exceeded their safe limits (mg/kg; 0.06, 20, 50 and 10, respectively). Individual/multi-elemental indices indicated high PTEs contamination in soils posing low to considerable ecological risk. Principal components PCI and PCII contributed 44.748% and 30.476% variance in data, respectively. PTEs in soils were classified in two categories using cluster analysis (I: Cd, U, Co, Pb, Ni, Cr, As, Cu, Zn and Mn; II: Fe), indicating both geogenic and anthropogenic origins. Health risks due to PTE exposure via dermal contact, inhalation and ingestion were also assessed. Children were found to be highly prone to non-cancer health risk (mean hazard index = 1.30) by As exposure, mainly via ingestion pathway. High total cancer risk was posed to residents via As (7.52E-05) and Cr (9.17E-06) exposure, primarily through ingestion. Bioremediation and efficient disposal of solid and liquid wastes may reduce soil contamination in the study area.
Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar for providing the research facilities.
Disclosure statement
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Data availability statement
Authors confirm that all relevant data has been included in the article and its supplementary material.