Evaluation of heavy metal mobility in contaminated soils between Abu Qurqas and Dyer Mawas Area, El Minya Governorate, Upper Egypt

Abstract

Heavy metals have dangerous effect on the biota. So, this work aimed to determine the mobility and bioavailability of these metals through the application of pollution indices and geochemical fractionation technique. Thirty-one topsoil samples (20 cm) were collected from the area between Abu Qurqas and Dyer Mawas, El Minya Governorate, and subjected to chemical analysis. The results revealed that Cd and As are mainly associated with carbonate fraction while Cr, Pb, Ni, and Cu are more present in the residual fraction. The relative amounts of easily dissolved phase of heavy metals in the soils are in the order of As > Cd > Cr > Pb > Ni > Cu. The results revealed that As, Cd, and Cr have high mobility and risks more than Pb, Ni, and Cu metals in the studied soils. As, Cd, and Cr were the heavy metals that caused pollutants in the soils of the studied area.