Metal Pollution And Ecological Risk Assessment In Surface Soil Of An Emerging Industrial Cluster Near New Delhi, India

Metal pollution in surface soils of industrial and urban areas is of concern owing to risk to human health and ecosystem and to its transport via winds and water. This study was aimed to determine total concentrations, contamination levels and source identification of metals in surface soil (n=37) from the Bhiwadi Industrial Cluster (BIC; a satellite industrial township to New Delhi). Average metal concentrations in surface soil exceeded their corresponding values in Upper Continental Crust (UCC, taken as background here) and varied depending upon metal(s) and sampling sites(s). Intensive industrial emissions/activities in BIC lead to high contamination factors (CFs > 6) and high pollution load indices (PLI > 1) for metals in surface soil. Average CFs followed the order Cr > Cd > Ni > Cu > Zn > Pb > Mn > V > Fe. Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) of metals in surface soils fall under unpolluted to extremely polluted for Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni and Zn, unpolluted to heavily polluted for Mn and Pb and unpolluted to moderately polluted for Fe and V. Ecological risk assessment in surface soil samples showed low to extremely high potential ecological risk for Cr, Cu and Ni, considerable to extremely high ecological risk for Cd, low to considerable ecological risk for Pb and low ecological risk for Mn, V and Zn. Risk (RI) values indicated that 37.8% of surface soil samples carried very high risk (RI > 600) of metal contamination in this industrial cluster. Findings suggested that proper waste collection and disposal techniques should be employed to safeguard human health and ecological risk in the region.