ESTIMATION OF THE LEVEL OF SOME HEAVY METALS IN SOIL COLLECTED FROM AN AGRICULTURAL FARM
The First Chapter
1.0 General Introduction
Any metallic chemical element with a relatively high density that is dangerous or poisonous at low concentrations is referred to as a heavy metal. Heavy metals include mercury (Hg), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), and others. Heavy metal contamination of the environment can be induced by parent material in the soil or manmade activity such as fertilization, pesticide application, and traffic, among others. Environmental contamination is a worldwide concern for both governmental and regulatory entities concerned with preventing further environmental deterioration.
Aside from natural activities, practically all human activities have the potential to produce heavy metals as byproducts. Furthermore, migration of these contaminants into non-contaminated areas as dust or leaching through the soil, as well as the spread of heavy metals contained sewage sludge, are a few examples of occurrences that contribute to ecosystem contamination.
Heavy metals and metalloids can accumulate in soil due to emissions from rapidly expanding industrial areas, mine tailings, disposal of high metal waste, leaded gasoline and paints, land application of fertilizers, animal manures, sewage sludge, pesticide, waste water irrigation, coal combustion residue, petrolchemical spillage, and atmospheric deposition.
Heavy metals are an ill-defined collection of organic chemical dangers, the most prevalent of which are chromium, lead, arsenic, zinc, cadmium, and mercury (Kabata – Pendia and Pendias, 2001).
Soil is the primary sink for heavy metals released into the environment as a result of the aforementioned anthropogenic activities; however, unlike organic contaminants, which are oxidized to carbon (iv) oxide by microbial action, most metals do not undergo microbial chemical degradation, and their total concentration in soils persists for a long time after their introduction.
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