Assessment of Heavy Metals Pollution in Soil Affected by Industrial Activities

Abstract

Twenty soil samples were collected in the Al-Duraa Refinery Industrial District. The soil samples displayed high concentrations of Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb and Zn than the calculated worldwide mean of unpolluted soils. The geoaccumulation index indicated that the soil samples were strongly polluted by Cd and moderately to strongly polluted by Pb. The level of pollution by Ni was moderate, whereas Cr and Zn observed unpolluted to moderately pollution. Furthermore, the result of the calculated enrichment factor (4.11-227.49) indicated significant to extremely high enriched and suggesting an important role of anthropogenic pollution due to various industrial activities done by the refinery.