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Heavy metals and related properties in farming soils adjacent to a future copper mine, interpretation using GIS, and statistical methods

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Abstract

Exploitation of mines can lead to the entrance of heavy metals into the environment. There is a possibility of water, soil, and plant pollution in Darreh Zereshk area in the near future. To assess the soil contamination and determine the origin of selected heavy metals, enrichment factor (EF) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo) accompanied with principle factor analysis (PCA) and map of spatial distribution of the elements were conducted. A total of 30 agricultural soil samples and 12 background soil samples were collected from Darreh Zereshk area in central Iran which is going to be one of the richest copper mines in Iran and the Middle East. Total and soluble concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, As, Fe, Ni, and Cr) and some physico-chemical properties of soils were determined. The results showed that contamination of the agricultural soils is more severe for Pb, Cu, and Zn and less severe for As. The origin of Ni and Cr did not seem to be anthropogenic. The average concentration of Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, As, Fe, Ni, and Cr in agricultural soils of the area were 36.87 mg/kg, 190.78 mg/kg, 170.33 mg/kg, 367.41 mg/kg, 69.42 mg/kg, 15494.1 mg/kg, 29.25 mg/kg, and 25.01 mg/kg, respectively. Since the Fe and Mn with geogenic origin were located in the same component with Cu, Zn, Pb, and As; it can be inferred that the source of these elements is controlled by both parent material of soil and anthropic activity.

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Funding

This work funded by the National Iranian Copper Industries Company.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

    Maedeh Chitsaz, Amir Hossein Hamidian & Mahdieh Dalvand

  2. Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 31585-4314, Karaj, Iran

    Amir Hossein Hamidian

  3. Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

    Babak Moteshare Zadeh

  4. Taft Copper Mine Project, National Iranian Copper Industries Company, Taft, Iran

    Seyyed Ali Asghar Mirjalili

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  1. Maedeh Chitsaz
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  2. Amir Hossein Hamidian
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  5. Seyyed Ali Asghar Mirjalili
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Correspondence to Amir Hossein Hamidian.

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Chitsaz, M., Hamidian, A.H., Moteshare Zadeh, B. et al. Heavy metals and related properties in farming soils adjacent to a future copper mine, interpretation using GIS, and statistical methods. Arab J Geosci 14, 816 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-06989-5

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