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Concentration, distribution and association of heavy metals in Multi-matrix samples of Himalayan foothill along elevation gradients

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Abstract

The current research plan was designed to investigate occurrence, source origin and association of heavy metals (HMs) in multi-matrix (road dust, soil and vegetation) samples along elevation gradients of Himalayan foothill, Pakistan. Therefore for this purpose, road dust (n = 28), soil (n = 42) and vegetation (n = 125) samples along different elevation gradients were collected and analyzed for HMs concentrations on flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Higher ∑HM concentrations were recorded in soil, dust and vegetation samples at the high elevation zones [Temperate (zone-3) and moist-temperate (zone-4)]. A clear elevation trends for cadmium (Cd), and manganese concentration in soil and Cd concentration in vegetation samples at zones were depicted but on site basis there was no clear elevation trends for the targeted metals. Stable Carbon isotopic method in soil reported that air-borne sources and geological rock outcropping are the main contributors and have shown strong positive relation with elevation, temperature, precipitation, sand, silt, and total organic carbon. Principal component analysis/multiple linear regression predicted multiple HMs pollution sources (long range atmospheric transport (LRAT), wet deposition, parent rock materials, vehicular emissions and to some extent air-borne sources) as contributor in soil, dust and vegetation samples. The geo-accumulation index (Igeo) in soil predicted that all four zones were confirmed as moderately to strongly polluted for Cd; unpolluted to moderately polluted for lead and designated as unpolluted zones for all other HMs. Further, the future in-depth studies regarding LRAT phenomenon is needed to study the fates, behaviors’ and deposition patterns of HMs in soil and vegetation.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Pakistan institute of nuclear sciences and technology (PINSTECH), Islamabad and department of biochemistry, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad especially in regards of metal and physico-chemical analysis and stable carbon isotope determination. The authors are thankful to the members of the Environmental biology and Applied Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad for their support during sampling. The authors are highly encouraged the efforts of Dr. Mushtaq Ahmed and Dr. Zaffar for the plant species identification.

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  1. Zeinab Salim and Muhammad Usman Khan are considered as first authors because both have equal contribution.

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  1. Environmental Biology and Ecotoxicology Laboratory, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad, 45320, Pakistan

    Zeinab Salim & Riffat Naseem Malik

  2. Human and Ecology Analytical Laboratory (HEAL), Department of Marine Science and Convergence Engineering, Hanyang University, Ansan, 15588, Republic of Korea

    Muhammad Usman Khan

  3. Department of Botanical and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Kohat University of Science & Technology, Kohat, Pakistan

    Muhammad Usman Khan

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Salim, Z., Khan, M.U. & Malik, R.N. Concentration, distribution and association of heavy metals in Multi-matrix samples of Himalayan foothill along elevation gradients. Environ Earth Sci 79, 479 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-020-09218-6

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