Screening and speciation of heavy metal contaminated soil from an automobile spare-parts market

Abstract

The contributions of automobile spare-parts market activities to heavy metals burden and the forms in which some of these metals exist in the soil environment were assessed. Total values of 150.0 mg/kg lead, 98.7mg/kg copper, 5.0mg/kg cadmium, 250.3mg/kg manganese, and 14.0mg/kg nickel were obtained on screening the soil in an automobile spare-parts market. Only lead, cadmium and copper were above threshold values and were consequently speciated. Upon speciating, 6.2% lead, 25.7% copper and 52.0% cadmium were potentially bioavailable.